Travel & Leisure Australia

It’s a sad fact that when I travel, I felt like I am breaking the bank. I tried to achieve my ideal vacation but I just ended up feeling as if my money has been taken from my wallet by force. We all know that no one could get hold of plane tickets, hotel pass and food without shelling out extra money. But I am over and done with this after acquainting myself with the fine points of travelling. In truth, it’s workable to take pleasure in any tour without spending too much cash!

Here are the clever moves I do to attain a pleasurable and reasonably-priced travel:

Smart Move #1: I Only Travel during Off-Season

Every year, there comes a period that travel is cheap and not active. Airline ticket rates reach up to 50% off of the original price. All I need to do is to monitor and detect when the off-season would take place.

Smart Move #2: I Take Advantage of Travel Discounts

I always make sure that before the tour, I have no more worries regarding travel necessities like plane tickets and hotel rooms. I do my best to purchase them weeks and even months before the date of my journey. This action is effective! I obtain huge savings because of it. I also check early-bird discounts. Sometimes, I communicate with travel agencies for discount promos they regularly bid.

Smart Move #3: I Often Do my Research

A clever step that every traveller must perform is to study about the destination. Through research, I get familiar with accommodation options, and transportation alternatives. Finding out which budget-friendly choices are will definitely guarantee savings.

Smart Move #4: I Always Plan Beforehand

I believe in the unbeatable power of planning. Planning ahead of the travel period is beneficial in general. It grants me adequate time to study and avail travel promos. But the best point about preparing ahead of time is that I get a higher chance of saving huge amount of money.

With these four bright ideas, I positively profit from my travel without the consideration of breaking the bank. Now, I regularly have my trips even without spending bags of cash.

Restaurant critic Terry Durack has had more than his fair share of feasts de resistance in the City of Lights, a place he has come to know intimately in years of dining out. Here, he presents his definitive guide to dining like a parisian.

I first met Paris when I was 21, and we didn’t get on. I was, perhaps, too young and in too much of a hurry. I rushed from place to place. I went to the famous Brasserie Lipp and was sent to the upstairs room, otherwise known as Siberia. I took a terrace table at Les Deux Magots and sat there in shock at the cost of a gin and tonic.

I stayed in a hotel room so small I had to step out of the bathroom in order to towel myself dry. Then I was apprehended by security at the Printemps store who accused me of stealing a pair of trousers I had just purchased, and a taxi driver threw me out of his car for wanting to take a short trip to Gare de Lyon instead of a long trip to the airport. I was not impressed, and neither was Paris.

Since then, we have forgiven each other and moved on. I changed, Paris changed, the world changed. I’m not entirely sure I love Paris even now, but I can’t live without her. Is that the same thing?

One of the reasons I moved to London was to be closer to Paris – something that has since been made an absolute pleasure with the opening of the reborn St. Pancras station and the newer, faster Eurostar. J’adore l’Eurostar.

Now I go back four or five times a year. I could spend an entire week doing nothing but admiring the bridges that arch across the Seine, a bag of plump cherries in hand. I get a thrill out of taking the metro to dinner, emerging from the utilitarian tiled tube into some frothy baroque fantasy of velvet and champagne. I revel in the purchase of a small tart, the saltiness of the butter, the tickle of Badoit. I can even cope with the poor coffee; a small price to pay for the privilege of sitting at a café on one of the grand boulevards.

Above all, I like eating in Paris: the simple exchanges between waiter and diner; the negotiations over which wine, which vintage; the stout matrons with little dogs curled at their feet; the time and respect paid to the art – for it is very much an art – of dining.

Everyone has their own Paris, whether it is forged by a fantasy they have yet to visit, a reality constructed from memory, or a long-term relationship with all its ups and downs. This is mine.

THE BRASSERIES

Bistros may be more “neighbourhood”, but brasseries, with their art nouveau interiors, are instant party time. brasseries began life in the 19th century as beer taverns for the refugees who had fled Alsace after it was ceded to Germany. While several famous ones have been taken over by the Flo restaurant group, they have retained their boisterous appeal.

Terminus Nord One of the best things about arriving in Paris by Eurostar is that you can trundle your case into this hustly, bustly brasserie directly across the road from the Gare du Nord for a platter of wonderful oysters, or steak tartare and frites with a bottle of Burgundy. You’re back. Terminus Nord, 23 rue de Dunkerque, 10th; +33 1 42 85 05 15; terminusnord.com; dinner for two $140.

Bofinger This Bastille landmark is the brasserie dreams are made of. Bofinger (pronounced boh-fan-jay) has been serving onion soup, huge shellfish platters, and steaming bowls of choucroute and saucissons under its beautiful glass dome since 1864. Long may it last. 5-7 rue de la Bastille, 4th; +33 1 42 72 87 82; bofingerparis.com; dinner for two $160.

Balzar When word leaked that the Flo group was taking over what was Jean-Paul Sartre’s favourite brasserie, the regulars formed a “committee of defence” to force the new owners to preserve its character. It worked. Nothing has changed – not the feel, nor the battle-weary waiters, and certainly not the pot au feu, cassoulet, pig snout salad and baba au rhum. 49 rue des Ecoles, 5th; +33 1 43 54 13 67; brasseriebalzar.com; dinner for two $150.

THE NEW BISTROS

Once, your only choice was bistro, brasserie or haute cuisine. But that was before Yves Camdeborde left the two-starred Les Ambassadeurs restaurant in 1992, to take over a casual bistro called Le RÉgalade. His imaginative take on classic regional cooking spawned a movement that has become known as new bistro cooking or bistronomique. Soon, a number of young chefs trained under haute cuisine masters were choosing the more relaxed lifestyle of the bistro over the expense, stress and pressure of going for Michelin stars. As a result, Paris is now eating better than it ever has, and paying less for the privilege.

Le Comptoir You are so not going to thank me for this recommendation, because you won’t be able to get in. Yves Camdeborde’s first venture since Le Regalade, was to open a cosy, casual, open-to-the-street Left Bank bistro with just 25 seats. By day, you can drop in for breakfast or a simple no-bookings, brasserie-style lunch, but at night Camdeborde lets his hair down with a single set-price $80pp menu that showcases his very special talents: rolled saddle of lamb or deboned pig’s trotter, perhaps, or roast tuna and zucchini puree with crabmeat and herring caviar. As for dessert, I have just three words for you: Salted. Caramel. Ice-cream. ∫ 9 Carrefour de l’Odeon, 6th; +33 1 44 27 07 50; dinner for two $210.

Spring “An American in Paris” has taken on a whole new meaning ever since Daniel Rose arrived from Chicago to study philosophy a dozen years ago. He ended up working with some of the most gifted chefs in Paris before opening his own budget-driven 16-seater, serving a daily changing, market-driven menu. There are no choices, and you have to be seated by 8.30pm as everyone is served at once. The food is light, seasonal and utterly charming, from an octopus salad with potatoes to rabbit with black olives and carrot puree, and Rose’s wine list is smart and user-friendly. 28 rue de la Tour d’Auvergne, 9th; +33 1 45 96 05 72; springparis.blogspot.com; dinner for two $200.

L’Ami Jean This has been a tiny Basquaise bistro for as long as anyone can remember, and still looks and feels the part. But five years ago Yves Camdeborde protégée, Stéphane Jégo moved into the tiny kitchen to bring a touch of class to the homely, earthy cooking of south-west France. Start with a basket of help-yourself charcuterie with bread, butter and pickles, then look to the great-value specials board for suckling pig three ways, stewed shoulder of veal, or braised monkfish cheeks with mussels. It’s all good, all classy, and all memorable. 27 rue Malar, 7th; + 33 1 47 05 86 89; dinner for two $180.

Mon Vieil Ami Former three-starred Alsatian chef, Antoine Westermann has transformed this medieval dining room on the otherwise very touristy Île St-Louis into a modern, almost minimalist, space – unusual in Paris. So is the kitchen’s emphasis on heirloom vegetables, most of which are sourced from celebrated Parisian market gardener, Joël Thiébault. 69 rue Saint Louis en l’Île , 4th; +33 1 40 46 01 35; mon-vieil-ami.com; dinner for two $200.

Aux Lyonnais Early in the bistronomique revolution, two of the masters of the Parisian dining scene, Alain Ducasse and Thierry Brosse of L’Ami Louis pooled their talents to restore this 1890s bistro to its former glory, complete with zinc bar. While the food remains true to its Lyonnais roots, the kitchen breathes new life into the likes of pike quenelles, coq au vin, and a deliciously creamy cervelle de canut (herbed fresh cheese curd). It’s business-y by day, due to its location near the stock exchange, and more relaxed at night. 32 rue Saint Marc, 2nd; +33 1 42 96 65 04; alain-ducasse.com; dinner for two $200.

THE GASTRONOMIC RESTAURANTS

If you adore refined cooking, appreciate exquisite detail, or are simply curious about the pinnacle of French gastronomy, then it is very hard to resist the lure of haute cuisine. But beware, these are expensive waters to splash in. A meal for two with wine in a three-Michelin-star restaurant can cost $1000, and in a two-star restaurant about half that, choose very carefully. You also need to book weeks, if not months, ahead. Lunch is easier to get into than dinner, will generally cost less, and will be no less remarkable.

Le Meurice This is what most of us think of when we think of Michelin stars – crystal chandeliers, marble columns, gilt-edged murals, flocked and tassled fabrics, and candles in a rococo-a-go-go salon. Le Meurice’s dashing, 40-year-old chef, Yannick Alléno, arrived in 2003 and took less than four years to win his three Michelin stars – a meteoric rise. Yet he didn’t do it the safe way, by reproducing the conservative excesses of the past. He did it his way, with lighter, modern dishes like a shimmering, jellied bouillabaisse, or marinated langoustine with black and white “pearls” of oscietra caviar and tapioca. A truly modern three-star Michelin experience, right down to the delectable petits fours, in a hotel that is itself among the best of the best. Hotel Meurice, 228 rue de Rivoli, 1st; +33 1 4458 1050; lemeurice.com; dinner for two $750.

Restaurant Hélène Darroze At last, a female chef poking her blonde head through the glass ceiling to gaze at the stars. Darroze is a country girl from the south-west, where both her father and grandfather were chefs. Her nine-year-old Left Bank restaurant was hotly tipped to get her third star from the Guide Michelin this year, but it didn’t happen. Personally I can’t see why not, having eaten very well indeed in this lush, plush first-floor boudoir, lined with rich, vibrant velvets and silks. Cuisine Darroze is rustic yet lavish, natural yet contrived in all the right places, from a log of Landes chicken with morels and foie gras oozing truffle-flecked jelly to the simplicity of Gascon ham sliced into wafers at the table. Dazzling. 4 rue d’Assas, 6th; +33 1 42 22 00 11; helenedarroze.com; dinner for two $600.

L’Astrance Pascal Barbot is regarded by many as the most exciting young chef in Paris, and L’Astrance the hardest three-star restaurant to get into. Partner Christophe Rohat could sell each of the 25 seats over and over every day. Once in, it’s worth it for the adventurous, brave-new-world food, from buckwheat blinis with oyster carpaccio, or crab-filled avocado ravioli with salted almonds, to sweet lobster with candied grapefruit peel. Most diners put themselves in Barbot’s hands by going for the Menu Astrance at $287 a head. 4 rue Beethoven, 16th. +33 1 40 50 84 40; dinner for two $650.

Pierre Gagnaire The conservative Parisian dining room doesn’t capture the swashbuckling, creative nature of Gagnaire’s cooking. Like works of art, his dishes tell stories and involve the improbable – who else would combine mortadella, baby scallops, lime, turnips, green apple and asparagus broth? Every dish on the menu is actually a collection of different dishes, deconstructed, so “les langoustines” is scampi done as a tartare with green mango; grilled with melted butter; sautéed with coriander; minced with Iberian ham, as a jellied consommé with carob powder; and moussed with soy bean sprouts. This can lead to total sensory overload, or to gastronomic nirvana. 6 rue Balzac, 8th; + 33 1 58 36 12 50; pierre-gagnaire.com; dinner for two $850.

THE BARS

In the same way that the French transform eating into dining, they turn the simple act of going out for a drink into a romantic tryst, a ritual, a special moment in the day.

Le Bar du Plaza Athénée Outrageously glamorous – and outrageously expensive – this is the bar as art form, with its holographic fireplace, miniature electric blue chandeliers, and cocktails so fashionable they could have come straight off the catwalk. Hotel Plaza Athénée, 25 Avenue Montaigne, 8th; + 33 1 53 67 66 65; plaza-athenee-paris.com

Hôtel Costes Set in the city’s most fashion-conscious hotel are a number of lush, interlinked salons around an internal courtyard, where you can take coffee, sip cocktails or eat the sort of teeny snack deemed a full meal by ridiculously attractive people such as these. Wear your v. best shoes. 239 Rue St-Honore, 1st; + 33 1 42 44 50 00; hotelcostes.com

Rival Deluxe Philippe, nephew of cutting edge restaurateur, Jean-Louis Costes, recently opened this slinky bar/lounge/restaurant/nightclub on the site of Claude Challe’s gone-but-never-forgotten Nirvana Lounge. Designer of the moment, Jacques Garcia has done his usual lush, plush makeover, making it a must-visit bar du nuit. 3 avenue Matignon, 8th; +33 1 42 89 64 72.

Hotel Amour Gilbert Costes’ son, Thierry, is one of the partners in this hip new boutique hotel – so hip it has table football in the downstairs loo, no lobby, and no actual reception. Forget the hipness and just treat it as a good bar with rooms, and a great little courtyard garden. 8 rue Navarin, 9th; +33 1 48 78 31 80.

Andy Wahloo This is the Anti-Costes, with no known connection to the ubiquitous Costes family, and no Jacques Garcia fitout. Instead, it’s a moody Moroccan hangout in the Marais where you sit on recycled paint drums at tables made from traffic signs, and drink fresh mint cocktails. Nice. 69 rue des Gravilliers, 3rd; +33 1 42 71 20 38.

THE ETHNIC RESTAURANTS

Even the French can get tired of French food, and the food of its former colonies (Algeria, Vietnam) and ancient quarters (Jewish, Chinese) is celebrated on a daily basis.

Mansouria Couscous is much loved by the fast crowd, and has become a bistro staple, but it’s worth going for the whole experience at Fatema Hal’s much-loved Moroccan restaurant, for its choice of seven different varieties. 11 rue Faidherbe, 11th; +33 1 43 71 00 16; dinner for two $150.

L’As du fallafel This place is a hoot; a fast-action, wipe-clean, cheap-as-chips café in the heart of the old Jewish quarter in the Marais. Nobody bothers with the menu – just go straight for the falafel special, which comes literally bursting with eggplant, cucumber, red cabbage, hummus, tahini and harissa. And felafel. 34 rue de Rosiers, 4th; + 33 1 48 87 63 60; dinner for two $50.

Dong Huong Parisians adore the lightness of Vietnamese food, returning time and again to this popular, buzzy restaurant for its steaming bowls of pho soup noodles. 14 rue Louis-Bonnet, 11th; +33 1 43 57 18 88; dinner for two $55.

THE FOOD SHOPS

Lafayette Gourmet A vibrant, ever-changing food hall with breads from Eric Kayser and Poilâne, a working butcher, well-stocked fish shop, first-rate fruiterer, and free tastings of everything from foie gras to olive oil. A top place to go for a quick cheap, lunch, especially from the jamon and sherry bar, Galeries Lafayette, 40 Boulevard Haussmann, 9th; + 33 1 42 82 34 56; galerieslafayette.com

Fromagerie Marie-Anne Cantin Marie-Anne inherited her love of cheese (and the affineur business) from her father, Christian Cantin. With a particularly dazzling range of raw milk cheeses, her shop is a place of worship for cheese-lovers from all over Paris, and the world. Even if you don’t buy, just go to smell. 12 rue Champ de Mars, 7th; +33 1 45 50 43 94; cantin.fr

Jean-Paul Hevin Perhaps the finest chocolatier in all of Paris, Hevin will cover anything in chocolate if it stands still long enough – fruit, caramel, spices, even cheese. The chocolates are made fresh every day and no chocolate stays on the shelf for more than three days. 231 rue Saint-Honore, 7th; + 33 1 55 35 35 96; jphevin.com

Astier de Villatte An artfully dilapidated little treasure of a shop full of wonky wooden walls, lined with exquisite hand-thrown tableware with a distinctive milky glaze, inspired by both plain and ornate 18th- and 19th-century designs. These are the only plates I will ever happily wash and dry by hand. 173 rue Saint-Honore, 1st; + 33 1 42 60 74 13; astierdevillatte.com

Pierre Herme The patissier of patissiers, Pierre Herme has few peers. His flagship store feels more like a fashion boutique than a cake shop, with its seasonally changing designer chocolates, macaroons and pastries. It’s thanks to Monsieur Herme, that in Paris I live on four meals a day. π 72 rue Bonaparte, 6th; +33 1 43 54 47 77; pierreherme.com

There’s nothing like a hotel by the sea – especially when it costs less than $300 a night. T+L sent correspondents around the globe, from the tiny undiscovered island of Holbox, on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, to the shores of New Zealand’s South Island. What we found: 25 perfect escapes.

BROOME, WA
$230

The endless turquoise strip of Broome’s Cable Beach is the raison d’etre for The Pearle (14 Millington Road, Broome, WA; 08 9194 0900; thepearle.com.au) but, as with most places here, it isn’t on the beachfront. Fortunately there are rewards for staying put. Many of the apartments have private lap pools, and the resort pool is a classy blue oblong overlooked by the excellent Cafe at The Pearle. The biggest apartments are heralded by impressive, oversized recycled teak doors, behind which the first “room” is outdoors, complete with barbecue, garden and decking. Stone and stainless steel sets the tone indoors. It’s roomy, low key and there’s all the mod cons to go with the king bed and soaker shower head. Or just switch off and open the louvres, the better to smell the sea air.

WHAT TO DO Walk to beautiful Cable Beach. You’ll work up a thirst, but the astonishing king tides and sunsets with camel train silhouettes are worth it.

MARGARET RIVER, WA
$220

It’s not as cheap and cheerful as the caravan park it replaced, but Smiths Beach Resort (Lot 2, Smiths Beach Road, Yallingup, WA; 08 9750 1200; smithsbeachresort.com.au) has kept a “beach shack” feel. If you baulk at the eight-berth beach houses’ lofty tariff, rest easy – you can also access the beach, pool and Bouzy champagne bar from a two-bedroom self-contained pod. There’s less space to flick towels and no ocean views, but the elegant styling is intact.

WHAT TO DO Get picnic supplies from the in-house gourmet store and bottle shop en route to the beach or forest. The Cape to Cape walk trail is right at your doorstep.

MERIMBULA, NSW
$163

Coast Resort’s (1 Elizabeth Street, Merimbula, NSW; 02 6495 4930; coastresort.com.au) white cubes designed by Monckton Fyfe form an eye-catching bridge between the sapphire waters of the beach and the serene gloss of the lake in the NSW South Coast town of Merimbula. The 4.5-star development’s two- and three-bedroom apartments and penthouse suites are a standout from the town’s otherwise dated accommodation options. Smeg appliances, outdoor entertaining areas and crisp linen complement stunning water views from the floor-to-ceiling windows (but note: the ocean views are reduced to glimpses on the ground floor). The hoards of seachangers who have transformed towns all along the coast – drawing artisan bakeries, delis and boutiques to their newfound homes – are yet to influence this beautiful spot 471 kilometres from Sydney. So expect a holiday where pleasure will be found in the simplicity of catching a wave, exploring national parks or tracking the lake’s edge via a boardwalk in the still of the early morning.

WHAT TO DO Feast on oysters every which-way on the relaxed deck of the on-site restaurant at Wheelers oyster farm or grab a dozen from its adjoining shop for your own private party.

MOLLYMOOK, NSW
$230

Bannisters Point Lodge (191 Mitchell Parade, Molly-mook, NSW; 02 4455 3044; www.bannisterspointlodge.com.au) is propped on a South Coast headland in a town that attracts both surfers and migrating whales. The past four years have seen the property updated from a 1970s motel – it now offers its guests an infinity pool, an outdoor cocktail lounge and a spa that specialises in hot-rock therapies. The 31 rooms are done up in rattan furnishings; balconies overlook eucalyptus trees and the ocean. Just a five-minute stroll down the hill is the white sand of Mollymook Beach. For the best views at the hotel, head to the private outdoor spa on a deck above the clifftop.

WHAT TO DO Weekend markets in Milton, four kilometres north, feature antiques and crafts.

KILLCARE, NSW
$250

Less than 90 minutes north of Sydney, the tranquil villages of Hardy’s Bay and Pretty Beach remain largely unscathed by modernisation. While covetable private weekenders abound in this neck of the NSW Central Coast, stylish accommodation has always been scarce. Bells at Killcare (107 The Scenic Road, Killcare, NSW; 02 4360 2411; killcarebells.com.au), a boutique resort at Killcare Heights, is changing that.

Major refurbishment to the dated, but beautifully situated, Bells resort has seen the addition of a spectacular restaurant show-casing the skills of executive chef Stefano Manfredi, who blends northern Italian heritage with a contemporary Australian approach. Breezy, beachy, blue and white decor extends from the main building through to supremely comfortable self-contained cottages peppered around the leafy grounds.

While weekend tariffs are a little expensive, midweek deals – particularly dinner, bed and breakfast packages – offer great value. After indulging in stracci pasta with rabbit ragu, stuffed calamari and a wickedly rich Amedei chocolate truffle ball, you’ll be glad you only have to walk a few paces to your room.

WHAT TO DO Explore Bouddi National Park, just across the road from Bells. Reception has a brochure detailing 17 routes, including a five-kilometre circuit down to Maitland Bay, named after an 1898 shipwreck that claimed 24 lives. Other walks continue along the coastline past small, secluded beaches amid eucalypts, angophoras and burrawangs. Or hire a dinghy from Hardy’s Bay for waterborne exploration.

MISSION BEACH, QUEENSLAND
$240

Unspoiled white beaches, shimmering aqua waters and towering rainforest have long drawn peace-seekers to idyllic Mission Beach on Queensland’s far north coast. Fortunately, empathy with its unique charms has seen development occur at a protective pace (after all, there are endangered cassowaries to look after). In keeping with that spirit, the arrival of 4.5-star Elandra Resort (Explorer Drive, Mission Beach, Queensland; 1800 079 090 Australia or 07 4068 8154 New Zealand; elandraresorts.com) at isolated South Mission Beach has involved stylishly transforming an existing resort. Its 55 rooms and suites nestle unobtrusively into the landscape. The public areas are centred around a curvaceous pool, offering mesmerising views across to Dunk Island, just four kilometres offshore. Swish white decor coupled with a stunning mix of artefacts from Indonesia, Africa and India features in both the chic cocktail and restaurant areas as well as guestrooms (think pressed metal bedside tables, chandeliers adorned with antlers, and rustic wooden doors). Food follows a similarly global path with Middle Eastern flavours (zaatar, dukkah) alongside fresh seafood and the locally inspired sugar cane and crocodile koftas. Thumbs up for the in-room “treasure chest” which trumps the usual minibar, offering everything from the practical (sunscreen kits and anti-bug balm) to the indulgent (choc-coated berries and wildberry and nougat slice).

WHAT TO DO Tired of lazing on oversized sunlounges? Charter a boat (tinny, kayak or catamaran) at South Mission Beach, or snorkel the outer reef.

AWAROA BAY, NEW ZEALAND
$208

When he created the isolated Awaroa Lodge (Awaroa Bay; +64 3 528 8758; awaroalodge.co.nz), leading Kiwi architect Ian Athfield was inspired by the classic New Zealand bach (weekend cottage). Set deep within the Abel Tasman National Park, the 26-room ecolodge is in harmony with the outdoors: earth-toned interiors, recycled-driftwood bannisters, balconies overlooking wetlands that teem with native birds (including rare white herons). The golden, iron-ore-laced sands of Awaroa Bay are a two-minute walk through the bush. To get to the hotel, you can take a plane, helicopter or boat, but the least expensive way is via a water taxi from the Abel Tasman National Park entrance at Marahau (aquataxi.co.nz; one-way fare $33).

WHAT TO DO The 51-kilometre Abel Tasman Coastal Track, which runs past the lodge, makes for a great hike.

CHA-AM, THAILAND
$205

A formidable marble staircase framed by a Jenga-like entry in naturally aged wood leaves you in no doubt about the intentions at Alila Cha-Am (115 Moo 7, Tambol Bangkao, Amphur Cha-Am, Petchaburi; +66 32 709 555; alilahotels.com/chaam). Sophisticated, thoughtful design underpins the resort, which is two-and-a-half hours by road from Bangkok and 26 kilometres from its busy neighbour, Hua Hin Beach. A focus on privacy sees charming, understated touches: garden hideaways, couples’ cabanas and reflection pools. Inside the 79 rooms, a Thai touch infiltrates furnishings and fabrics, and a capacious rain shower gives a euphoric edge to bathroom time. Cool daytime hangout The Red becomes yet cooler after dark. You can even get an evening spa treatment after a hard day’s luxury at the adjoining Chill Pool. Beyond the resort, the crisp white beach – Thailand’s longest – has a proliferation of seafood eateries. Or stay cosseted in Clouds Loft, Alila’s fine diner.

WHAT TO DO If you tire of the on-site splendour, watersports and cycling are on offer, or visit the nearby summer palace of King Rama VI.

KUI BURI, THAILAND
$100

An hour’s drive south of royal resort town Hua Hin on the Gulf of Thailand is X2 Kui Buri (52 Moo 13, Ao Noi sub-district, Muang District, Prachuap Khiri Khan; +66 32 601 412; x2resorts.com), the latest in a string of boutique resorts to occupy this up-and-coming coastline. Its remoteness is alluring – surrounding fishing villages and national parks offer a glimpse into rural Thailand without having to rough it. Thai architect Duangrit Bunnag teamed local wood with stone to create 24 villas, scattered among huge old tamarind trees that provide respite from the midday heat. Rooms are dramatic, with granite walls and ceiling-to-floor glass doors opening onto courtyards, 19 with plunge pools (sadly not private enough to skinny-dip). Inside, rooms are dressed with plantation timbers, Thai cotton and stools fashioned from tree trunks. Book a beach-facing room to wake to the surf. An in-house spa offers treatments with freshly harvested ingredients – coconut body scrubs and seaweed masks.

WHAT TO DO Explore Kui Buri and Sam Roy Rod National Parks – the latter means “300 hilltops”. Spot wild elephants, gibbons, tapirs and migratory birds. Or visit the granite Huay Dong Ma Fai waterfall and its swimming hole. The resort will pack you a picnic lunch.

PHANG NGA, THAILAND
$190

The Aleenta (33 Moo 5 Khokkloy, Takuathung; 1800 251 958 Australia or 0800 441 098 New Zealand; aleenta.com) is a cluster of sugar-cube rooms tumbling down to an expanse of golden sand in Phang Nga, the undeveloped coastline north of Phuket Island. The second hotel by Thai Anchalika Kijkanakorn (her first is in Pranburi, south of Bangkok) mixes sleek local design with superb views over the azure Andaman Sea. Spare, without being minimal, the rooms have polished concrete floors, Jacuzzis and access to a pool – shared by the duplex suites (beachfront villas have their own). Book room 102 for uninterrupted views of the beach.

The Chef’s Table (dinner for two, without wine, $180), a changing-daily five-course degustation menu starting with a glass of Champagne and ending with the perfect cheesecake. If the food doesn’t wow you, the artwork will – a rotating collection by gallery Soul of Asia, with works by Asian artists like Zhang Xiao-gang. Work it all off the next day with a complimentary exercise class: yoga, Thai boxing or beach walking.

WHAT TO DO Venture into Phuket Town’s charming old quarter, a rickety collection of colonial mansions and Sino-Portuguese shop houses built during the island’s halcyon days as a tin-mining town. Stop in at meticulously restored China Inn Café (20 Thalang Road; +66 76 356 239) for Peranakan cuisine and regional collectibles.

GOA, INDIA
$189

In 2003, Mumbai fashion photographer Denzil Sequeira opened up his ancestral compound, Elsewhere (Goa; +91 932 602 0701; aseascape.com; minimum one-week stay), to paying guests. Four colonial beach houses and three candy-coloured tents sit at the water’s edge; for the most affordable option, book the latter, outfitted with a muslin-draped four-poster bed, modern bathroom, private lanai (porch) and your own wooden pier. The hotel is set in a forest of coconut trees on a hidden spit sandwiched between the Arabian Sea and a saltwater creek, near the former Portuguese port of Goa.

WHAT TO DO Ask manager Vinod Pednekar to arrange an afternoon dolphin cruise with local fishermen, or check out the innumerable starfish that wash up on nearby Mandrem Beach.

THOM KHAN KEP, CAMBODIA
$185

A former resort town for socialites and dignitaries who built opulent holiday villas here, Kep’s serenity was wrecked when it was sacked by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. Decades of fighting left the genteel seaside village a ghost town, the burnt-out ruins of art deco mansions reclaimed by the jungle. These days Kep is reinventing itself as Cambodia’s new Riviera, a gentler escape from the flashy casinos in nearby Sihanoukville. The trend got a boost with the opening of Knai Bang Chatt (Phum Thmey Sangkat Prey, Thom Khan Kep, Kep City; +85 5 1287 9486; knaibangchatt.com), three brightly coloured ’50s and ’60s villas restored by Axel Vervoordt, son of legendary Belgian interior designer Boris. Highlighting the jazzy concrete facades, Vervoordt kept interiors simple with Cambodian antiques and blue and white linen against rich local timbers. The property originally opened as an all-inclusive villa but was recently transformed into an 11-room hotel with a waterfront restaurant. The rocky beach isn’t suitable for swimming – cool off in the pool instead, or have a massage under the shade of a four-poster sala. Next door, a blue fisherman’s hut has been converted into a boat club and bar. Steal a table on the deck for a legendary sunset.

WHAT TO DO Take a boat to Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island) where you can snorkel in clear water or snack on fresh-caught calamari and crab – a bargain for $5 a plate. Go while you have it to yourself; Rabbit Island, and scores of others in this Cambodian archipelago, is tagged for mass tourism development.

PHU QUOC, VIETNAM
$145

The palm-fringed isle of Phu Quoc is one of Asia’s most buzzed-about destinations, and La Veranda Resort & Spa (Tran Hung Dao Street, Duong Dong Beach; +84 77 398 2988; laverandaresort.com) is one reason why. The poshest of Phu Quoc’s dozen hotels and guesthouses, this intimate 43-room resort sports yellow exteriors, whitewashed louvres and tropical gardens, recalling a colonial plantation. Deluxe villas are the best choice for sea-facing porches and spacious bathrooms. There’s a good restaurant, lively bar and modest spa, but the real draw is the location: a 19-kilometre stretch of soft sand. Swim out to the pontoon and doze to gentle afternoon swells, or indulge in a $5 surfside massage. Next door, the Palm Tree restaurant (Bai Truong; no phone; dinner for two $16) serves grilled seafood from dawn to late. But better go soon as an impending development boom will soon bring mega-resorts and cruise ships to this impossibly quiet island.

WHAT TO DO The concierge can arrange snorkelling or diving in the An Thoi archipelago, as well as nighttime squid-fishing trips.

CANDIDASA, BALI
$180

Health and nature buffs flock to the rugged, volcanic-sand shore of Alila Manggis (Desa Buitan, Manggis Karangasem, Candidasa; +62 3 634 1011; alilahotels.com), an hour east of touristy Kuta’s nightclubs and adjacent to Mount Agung, an active volcano considered Bali’s most sacred peak. All 56 rooms face the Bali Sea and overlook a lush central garden with coconut trees and frangipani – the setting for the resort’s free daily yoga sessions (all levels welcome). The rooms are set in two-storey thatched houses that surround a palm-fringed pool.

WHAT TO DO Dive at the Blue Lagoon, a reef just 15 minutes away. You’ll come face-to-face with scorpion fish, turtles and white-tip sharks. More adventurous types can trek up Mount Agung – a four-hour climb.

CALIFORNIA, USA
$140

The floral prints and canopy beds at the Sea View Inn (Camino Real, Carmel; +1 831 624 8778; seaviewinncarmel.com) are a little frilly, but the draw here is the hospitality: fireside breakfasts and tea in the garden. The eight-room Victorian bungalow lives up to its name; it’s only steps from a broad beach on the Monterey Peninsula. Try to book Room 7 as it has the largest windows and lovely garden views.

WHAT TO DO Go on an art buying (or just looking) spree in town – Carmel has more than 100 galleries within the 2.6-square-kilometre centre.

HAWAII, USA
$186

Tucked among the pricey resorts of Hawaii’s southern Kohala Coast is one of the Big Island’s best-kept secrets: a tiny village with access to prime snorkelling and surfing beaches. The Puako Bed & Breakfast (25 Puako Beach Drive, Big Island; +1 808 882 1331; bigisland-bedbreakfast.com) is as low-key as its location; host and hula performer-instructor Punahele Andrade has outfitted the four guestrooms with tropical furniture and bright Hawaiian quilts. After a breakfast of Belgian waffles, Hawaiian sweetbread and Kona coffee, the rugged black-lava and white-coral beach beckons. For pristine, sandier stretches, head to Beach 69, in the Hapuna Beach State Park.

WHAT TO DO Visit the ancient Petroglyphs at Puako. Take a horseback tour of the 60,700-hectare Parker Ranch in Waimea, 32 kilometres away. This stunning property is a working ranch with historic homesteads, manicured gardens, cattle country and elevated ocean vistas.

HOLBOX ISLAND, MEXICO
$190

Holbox (pronounced “Ole-bosh”) is a tiny spit off the Yucatán Peninsula. At the chic 16-room CasaSandra Hotel (Calle Igualdad; +52 984 875 2171; casasandra.com), Cuban-born owner and artist Sandra Pérez wanted the property to feel more like a residence. So she spread CasaSandra out over five buildings and filled each of the spaces with one-of-a-kind regional pieces: rough-cut antique wooden tables from Guadalajara, rattan furniture, hand-woven linens and bath products. Outside, palapas (open-sided beach huts with palm-thatched roofs) dot the sand, and the azure water’s edge is 50 uninterrupted steps away. The hotel arranges fishing excursions with CasaSandra’s chef, Félix Diaz, who will prepare your catch for dinner.

WHAT TO DO From June to August, Holbox is one of the few places in the world where you can swim alongside harmless whale sharks – the largest known fish in the world. Holbox Tours & Travel (+52 984 875 2173; holboxwhalesharktours.com; $90) runs six-hour tours that guarantee time in the water with these gentle giants.

CONCARNEAU, FRANCE
$165

Near the fortified port town of Concarneau, Les Sables Blancs (45 Rue des Sables Blancs; +33 2 98 50 10 12; hotel-les-sables-blancs.com) presides over an unspoiled strip of sand. The hotel opened about a year ago, and has a mod, minimalist look, with bright orange chairs on a vast lantern-lit bar terrace where guests gather at night. Most of the 20 rooms have sea views from the bed and sliding doors onto private balconies. Le Nautile, the on-site restaurant, is known for creative seafood dishes like squid sautéed with bacon and cocoa beans.

WHAT TO DO On a clear day you can see Les Glénans, an uninhabited archipelago called “the Tahiti of Brittany”. The hotel arranges day trips by boat to its largest island, which has a dive school and pristine beaches.

SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN
$210

The 65-room Hotel Codina (21 Avda. Zumalacárregui, San Sebastián; +34 94 321 2200; hotelcodina.es) was revamped in July 2006 from an outdated hotel to a stylish business-meets-beach haven. Rooms have free wi-fi (a rarity in Spain), sleek wooden furniture and oversized windows. The hotel is only a few metres from the half-moon cove of Ondarreta Beach. For the best beach views, ask for a room with a patio on the north-facing corner of the seventh floor.

WHAT TO DO Picnic in the royal gardens of Palacio de Miramar, Queen María Christina’s old haunt, overlooking the ocean.

ISCHIA, ITALY
$210

On the volcanic island of Ischia – famous for hot springs and therapeutic mud – near Lacco Ameno, sits the Hotel della Baia (Lacco Ameno; +39 081 986 398; www.negombo.it), a chic 21-room inn. An outdoor bar is surrounded by bougainvillea and lime trees; first-floor rooms’ garden terraces overlook San Montano Bay and a private beach. Negombo Park, located across the road, has 14 outdoor geothermal pools of varying sizes and temperatures, scattered over a rocky hillside.

WHAT TO DO Visit the Museo Archeologico di Pithecusae in Lacco Ameno. The museum houses ancient artefacts, including the Coppa di Nestore (mentioned in Homer’s Iliad), from the ancient Greek settlement of Pithecusae.

ATHENS, GREECE
$175

The seven-storey Poseidon Hotel (72 Possidonos Avenue, Athens; +30 210 987 2000; poseidonhotel.com.gr) rises above a winding stretch of coastline between Athens and Cape Sounio, home to the Temple of Poseidon. The 88 rooms are stylishly sparse: pale wood furniture, crisp white bed linen. Terraces along the eastern side of the hotel look across the road to hip Edem Beach, dotted with the resort’s white umbrellas and lounge chairs. Sip retsina at the rooftop restaurant as the sun sets over the Saronic Gulf.

WHAT TO DO The hotel is five minutes away from the Alimos and Trocadero marinas, where you can rent a boat to Aegina to see the ancient Aphaia Temple.

OLUDENIZ, TURKEY
$190

Built in the style of a seaman’s manor, Oyster Residences (Ölüdeniz, +90 252 617 0765; oysterresidences.com) evokes the town’s quaint traditional architecture with its stone walls and an olive tree-shaded courtyard. But the real treat is the attentive staff, known to leave flowers on your balcony. The hotel accesses a one-kilometre-plus expanse of ivory sand and a turquoise lagoon on a tiny inlet along a rugged stretch of the Turkish Riviera. Book rooms on the ground floor, which have garden terraces that open up to the pool and courtyard.

WHAT TO DO Visit the town of Kayaköy, where hundreds of abandoned Greek-style houses are said to have inspired the novel Birds Without Wings, by Louis de Bernières, author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.

KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA
$295

Robinson Crusoe fantasies meet environmental sensitivity at South Africa’s Thonga Beach Lodge (Mabibi Bay, KwaZulu-Natal; +27 35 474 1473; isibindiafrica.co.za). Inspired by traditional Thongan fishing villages, there’s an understated luxury here. Think thatched roofs, wide decks, mosquito nets, candlelit beach dining and cocktails under the Mdoni trees. Accommodation is designed for minimal impact on the environment and maximum exploitation of views. Mud-stone-toned ensuite bedrooms look out over dune forest or Mabibi Bay.

The lodge is the only commercial venture in the World Heritage-listed iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

WHAT TO DO Snorkel, dive, swim and bird watch. Or ogle giant leatherback and loggerhead turtles in nesting season (November to March).

DE KELDERS, SOUTH AFRICA
$120

It’s all about whales in this hamlet 90 minutes up the coast from Cape Town. To offer guests the best vantage point, Whale Sanctuary Lodge (41–43 Cliff Street, De Kelders; +27 28 384 2806; whalesanctuarylodge.co.za) is set on a cliff above Walker Bay, where you can spot orcas, southern rights and humpbacks out at sea. A private balcony juts over the water in each of the six suites, which have marble floors and leather furnishings. The Orca suite is the biggest (65 square metres) and has the best views, with two entire walls made of glass. There is a slightly rocky beach below the lodge, but there are 24 kilometres of deserted golden sand just a five-minute drive away in the Walker Bay Nature Reserve.

WHAT TO DO The hotel can arrange cage-diving with great white sharks, in the nearby town of Kleinbaai.

KORBA, TUNISIA
$79

Over the past decade, the owners of the 27-hectare Africa Jade (Avenue Habib Bourguiba, Korba; +216 72 384 633; africajade.com) – one of the world’s first Club Meds – have turned it into a domed, columned palace ornamented with African art. All 260 rooms have oversized wicker furniture, mosaic-tiled baths, and private verandas overlooking the ocean. The property is set along a vast stretch of white, dune-rimmed beach on the Cap Bon peninsula. True to its Club Med roots, there are plenty of diversions, with four restaurants, as many tennis courts, an archery range, 1115-square-metre pool and new thalassotherapy spa.

WHAT TO DO Ask the concierge to arrange a sunset camel ride along the beach or shop for ceramic and silk in the souks of Tunis, an hour’s drive west.

With so many incredible landscapes to choose from, many outstanding spots in Australia and New Zealand simply get overlooked. Travel + Leisure has put together a list of top secret places that have remained lesser-known destinations – until now.

1. COCKBURN RANGE, EAST KIMBERLEY, WA

What is it? As imposing as Uluru, the Cockburn Range at El Questro Wilderness Park, at the north-eastern end of the Gibb River Road, rises like a vast fortress more than 600 metres above the East Kimberley plains. It plays a starring role in Baz Lurhmann’s Australia where it serves as a constant, mesmerising backdrop.

Why is it overlooked? It’s the Bungle Bungles in Purnululu National Park, several hours’ drive or a light plane flight south of El Questro, that attract the attention in the Kimberley. Yet the Cockburns have many of the same features, including deep gorges and pristine waterholes.

We love it because… The Cockburns completely dominate the landscape on the Gibb River Road between the Pentecost River and the Great Northern Highway. From every vantage point, thickly wooded slopes rise to majestic golden-orange hued sandstone cliffs. At the western end near the Pentecost River, the cliffs take the form of long narrow peninsulas, giving the impression of a handful of “fingers”. Driving the rough 4WD track that runs around the base of the escarpment allows you to experience its enormous variety of landscapes, from grasslands to mudflats that stretch to infinity (or at least all the way to Wyndham) and shimmer like a desert oasis. Boab trees, some more than 1000 years old, stand sentinel above the bushy scrub, there’s a plethora of birdlife including ospreys, brown whistler ducks and spinafex pigeons, timid freshwater crocs lolling in drying billabongs, and two-metre-plus “salties” patrolling the Pentecost River. Much of the drive around the base follows the Karunjie Track, the original stock route used by rugged drovers from Derby to Wyndham and on to the Northern Territory. One of the best views of the Cockburns is from Home Valley Station in the late afternoon, when the setting sun turns the cliffs from deep orange to burning pinks, purples and reds.

How to get there From Kununurra it’s about an hour’s drive to Emma Gorge Resort at El Questro, the departure point for most people’s explorations of the Cockburns. El Questro offers a guided 4WD tour around the vast, varied terrain of the range. You can drive it yourself but you need to be thoroughly prepared and have significant off-road driving experience. Scenic flights provide amazing views of the Cockburns; take a helicopter from El Questro or a light plane from Kununurra. Selected outback tour operators in the Kimberley offer private bushwalking expeditions.

Where to stay The Emma Gorge Resort, El Questro Wilderness Park (08 9169 1777; elquestro.com.au; doubles from $270), has tented cabins with private ensuite and a decent, if overpriced, restaurant. Emma Gorge, an hour’s walk from the camp, is part of the Cockburn Range and gives a taste of the spectacular scenery. Home Valley Station (08 9161 4322, homevalley.com.au) is located on the western bank of the Pentecost River, about an hour’s drive from El Questro. It offers three levels of accommodation plus camping, with a variety of tours, on an historic cattle property run by the Indigenous Land Corporation as a TAFE for indigenous trainees. Grass Castle luxury bungalows, doubles from $420; Homestead Guesthouse Rooms (chic motel-style accommodation), doubles from $230; Sand Castle safari style eco-tents, sleeping four, from $190.

Don’t miss Playing out your drover fantasy on the mudflats on the northern side of the Range. These baked, cracked mudflats – where the stampede scenes in Australia were filmed – are transformed into a vast sea during the Wet as the inland rivers empty their contents into the Cambridge Gulf.

The details Qantas and Virgin Blue have regular flights to Darwin and Perth. Both Airnorth and Skywest service the Darwin-Kununurra route and the Perth-Broome-Kununurra route. You can rent a 4WD in Kununurra; Europcar has a large selection (europcar.com.au). El Questro Wilderness Park is open from April 1 to October 31. The Cockburn Range 4WD circuit tour costs $227 per person; 30-minute scenic helicopter flights cost from $185 per person (08 9169 1777; elquestro.com.au). Willis’s Walkabouts (08 8985 2134; bushwalkingholidays.com.au) offers a two-week Green Kimberley tour, which includes seven days bushwalking in the Cockburn Ranges. – Sally Webb

2. BARRINGTON TOPS, NEW SOUTH WALES

What is it? With steep ridges, wild streams, and rainforest wilderness, Barrington Tops National Park is a deserving recipient of its World Heritage status. The 74,000-hectare national park lies close to the well-travelled Pacific Highway, but the hour-long detour is far enough for the park to be bypassed by most travellers.

Why is it overlooked? The Blue Mountains are a better-known World Heritage alternative, but those willing to go the extra distance, literally, will find the Barrington area reaps equal rewards, without the crowds.

We love it because… even if it were filled with visitors, Barrington’s natural environs would be worth the effort for a weekend or longer, any time from September to May. Crisp, clear waters tumble down from the 1500m-high plateau, the thick rainforest is magically still, and the lack of competition for the trails is a positive. From the Dungog entrance, Burraga Swamp, tucked away high up in the hills, may be the jewel in Barrington’s crown. Tree ferns and towering Antarctic Beech trees greet walkers on the short (30-minute return) trail, which turns more Tolkien-esque the further you go. The Williams River day area offers short tracks and swims in the crisp, clear waters. Hardier types should leave one car here and drive up Lagoon Pinch Road for the 7km, muddy, leaf-littered, Rocky Crossing walk. Allowing time for plenty of detours down the side tracks to the Pool of Reflection or Rocky Crossing itself captures the best of this trail, and a relative abundance of rare lyrebirds will reward many visitors to the whole Williams River area.

How to get there Fly to Newcastle where you’ll need to rent a car (two-wheel-drives are sufficient) on arrival. From New Zealand, fly into Sydney, rent a car, and make the three-and-a-half hour drive north along the Sydney-Newcastle expressway (F3). Follow the Pacific Highway through Raymond Terrace to reach the park’s entry points.

Where to stay Camping and bed and breakfasts are the best options. Yeranda Cottages (02 4992 1208; yeranda.com.au) are ideal for exploring the southern half of the park. Elouera ($50-$80 per person per night) is the most popular of Yeranda’s four cottages. Sunrise Cottage (02 6559 1228; jacksonsfarmstay.com; doubles from $150) is 30 minutes from Gloucester with visitors renting this three-bedroom house enjoying 607 hectares in which to relax. Eaglereach Wilderness Resort (02 4938 8233; eaglereach.com.au; doubles from $210) is an upmarket alternative though it’s more than an hour’s drive into Dungog or Gloucester to the park.

Don’t miss About an hour’s drive from Gloucester through the rainforest park, Devils Hole Lookout offers magnificent views over the sweeping Barrington Plateau. In winter, the 1400-metre-high site (and its much appreciated barbecue area) receives snow, so check if the snow gates are locked before you visit.

The details Qantaslink, Jetstar and Virgin Blue fly to Newcastle. Both Tourism NSW (visitnsw.com) and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (nationalparks.nsw.gov.au) have extensive information on the National Park. Barrington Outdoor Adventure Centre (126 Thunderbolts Way, Gloucester; 02 6558 2093; boac.com.au) offers guided trips and bike, canoe and kayak rental. One-day tours cost $130 per person. – Sue White

3. WHITE ISLAND, BAY OF PLENTY, NEW ZEALAND

What is it? One of New Zealand’s most active volcanoes, White Island (or Te Puia o Whakaari in Maori) is in the Bay of Plenty on the eastern coast of the North Island.

Why is it overlooked? Many Kiwis will be familiar with White Island but, to the majority of Australians, New Zealand’s only active marine volcano remains largely unknown. A visit to White Island can also entail a reasonable amount of time and, particularly if travelling by helicopter, expense.

We love it because… it’s one of the most surreal, apocalyptic places anywhere in Australasia, acquiring its anglicised name from Captain Cook who noted its tendency to be enveloped in white steam. Since 1826 there have been almost three dozen eruptions on White Island (believed to be as old as 200,000 years), with the last being in 2000, blanketing the island in mud and creating a new crater. Tours by Rotorua’s Helipro (helipro.co.nz) consist of an action-packed three-and-a-half hours, straight out across the Bay of Plenty with the aircraft circling the island before landing on its stark, lunar-like surface. On certain days gas masks must be worn, with hard-hats compulsory. As you step from the helicopter you’re confronted by a strange world, tinged sulphur yellow and full of steaming fumeroles and boiling mud. The helicopter then heads back out across the Bay of Plenty for a summit landing on the dormant Mount Tarawera, on the mainland, the scene of an epic 1886 eruption that claimed 153 lives.

How to get there White Island can be accessed by boat as well as helicopter, with fixed-wing flyovers also available. Rotorua, itself renowned for its geothermal activity, is surprisingly easily reached from Australia’s eastern seaboard, and within New Zealand itself, with frequent half-hour connecting flights with Air New Zealand from Auckland.

Where to stay Rotorua has a wealth of accommodation, including the luxurious lodge and estate, Treetops, (+64 7 333 2066; treetops.co.nz; doubles from $405 per person) and the more affordable Accolades Boutique Hotel (31 Flemington Place, Brunswick, Rotorua; +64 7 345 5033; accolades-boutique-hotel.co.nz; doubles from $327).

Don’t miss The eerie remnants of a failed sulphur mining operation, which ended in the 1930s, including buildings and machinery corroded by the island’s sulphuric gases.

The details Helipro operates tours of White Island. Tours cost about $732 per person. White Island Tours (+64 7 308 9588; www.whiteisland.co.nz) operate boat trips from Whakatane Wharf on the Bay of Plenty. Tours, which generally take about six hours return, cost $145 per person. – Anthony Dennis

4. DOUBTFUL SOUND, FIORDLAND, NEW ZEALAND

What is it? Doubtful Sound, the deepest of New Zealand’s fiords, is a breathtaking watery wilderness, aptly dubbed the “Sound of Silence”. Extending over 40 kilometres inland from the Tasman Sea, it consists of towering peaks with near vertical sides.

Why is it overlooked? The majority of visitors to this part of New Zealand opt for the smaller Milford Sound, which is widely promoted, easier to access and with established infrastructure. But canny Kiwis will tell you that Doubtful Sound – three times longer than Milford – is more serene and spectacular.

We love it because… part of the adventure lies in the reaching of Doubtful Sound: first you must take a boat trip across scenic Lake Manapouri and then a road trip over the 670-metre-high Wilmot Pass and down into Deep Cove. This is Fiordland National Park, New Zealand’s largest and part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area. Chris Lemin, the owner of Deep Cove Charters (+64 3 249 6828; doubtful-sound.com) is a knowledgeable, knockabout skipper and guide who recently acquired a luxurious new vessel, Seafinn. During the cruise we encountered not just pods of bottlenose dolphins and fur seals on the rocks near the entrance to Doubtful Sound, but also red deer, through binoculars, on the rocky, precipitous sides of the peaks.

How to get there Manapouri, 170 kilometres from Queenstown and close to the township of Te Anau, is the starting point of the two-stage, two-hour or so, journey that needs to be undertaken in order to reach Doubtful Sound. From Manapouri you take a boat across the lake and then a coach or van across Wilmot Pass.

Where to stay It takes a few hours to reach Doubtful Sound from Manapouri, so an overnight cruise makes practical sense, aside, of course, from the fact that it’s a such rewarding experience. Before and after your visit there is plenty of affordable accommodation in Manapouri and Te Anau (fiordland.org.nz). One luxury option is Fiordland Lodge (472 Te Anau Milford Highway; +64 3 249 7832; fiordlandlodge.co.nz; doubles start from about $500).

Don’t miss Waking up at dawn, or soon thereafter, on your overnight cruise boat located in the embrace of one of the sheltered arms of Doubtful Sound with scarcely another craft in sight.

The details Deep Cove Charters is a small, family-run operator for between two and 12 passengers aboard the new boat, Seafinn. Overnight cruises operate between October and March with prices from $336 per person, including lunch, dinner and breakfast. The far larger, somewhat less personalised, though recommended Real Journeys (+64 3 249 7416; realjourneys.co.nz), operates day and overnight cruises aboard the Fiordland Navigator. Overnight cruise prices start from $362 per person. – ad

5. LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK, NORTHERN TERRITORY

What is it? Covering 1500 square kilometres, Litchfield National Park is the ancestral home of the Koongurrukun, Marranunggu, Werat and Warray Aboriginal people who believe that spirits shaped the park. If they did, they certainly had an eye for dramatic scenery. The national park is home to gargantuan magnetic termite hills, tranquil lagoon pools with skyscraper-high waterfalls and four-wheel-drive tracks challenging enough to keep your teeth chattering.

Why is it overlooked? Litchfield has a far flashier, far better known neighbour in Kakadu National Park, yet many locals agree that the two share much of the same classic Top End terrain.

We love it because… it’s Kakadu without the crowds, and because of its remote beauty. Swim in the Buley waterhole (croc-free in the dry season), explore the fascinating termite mounds or bathe in Wangi Falls to the sound of crashing water. For campers, there is the oft-overlooked Walker Creek area where a handful of raised wooden campsites are set next to a clear-water stream. There is also a peaceful walk here where visitors can wander for hours with just a few ‘roos for company. The Walker Creek track follows the stream, moves through some marshland where you walk on duckboards and culminates in a ridge with a commanding view. For the outdoors types the more challenging Tabletop Track offers 39 kilometres of some of the park’s most interesting terrain.

How to get there Fly into Darwin and hire a vehicle. You will need a 4WD if you plan to visit the Lost City. Contact the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory (08 8976 0282; nt.gov.au) to check conditions. It takes just over an hour to get to Litchfield and you can fit in a walk, a swim and the Lost City in a day trip.

Where to stay Campsites are peppered throughout the park but for day-trippers, Darwin is your best base. Try SkyCity (Gilruth Avenue, Mindil Beach; 08 8943 8888; skycitydarwin.com.au; doubles from $220), which is close to the city and next to the Mindil Beach markets.

Don’t miss The Lost City – a tumble-down collection of wind-blasted sandstone monoliths that look eerily like a metropolis in decay. One huge formation offers a Hellboy moment as it resembles a giant rocky figure striding along. It is also eerily silent here save for the rustling of leaves and the buzzing of flies.

The details Qantas, Virgin Blue and JetStar fly to Darwin. Hire a 4WD through Budget (budget.com.au), Europcar (europcar.com.au) or Hertz (hertz.com.au) at Darwin airport. There is a detailed fact sheet on Litchfield and other Northern Territory parks at nt.gov.au. – Paul Chai

6. GawlerRanges, South Australia
If it weren’t for the heat and the red dirt surrounds, the glistening white salt pan that forms Lake Gairdner may deceive visitors into thinking they are looking at a piece of Antarctica. At 430km from Adelaide, the Eyre Peninsula’s Gawler Ranges also house the impressive ochre-red “organ pipe” rock columns. gawlerrangessafaris.com

7. Baird Bay, SA
Sea lions’ curious natures are a hit in Baird Bay, 745km west of Adelaide, where swimming with the animals is available for visitors. The experience of frolicking with sea lions, and often dolphins, is even better given the animals simply turn up every day by choice. bairdbay.com

8. Walls of Jerusalem National Park, Tasmania
Highlights, such as King David’s peak, can only be reached on foot. Novices should consider a group trip, as this is experienced hikers’ terrain. tasmanianexpeditions.com.au

9. The Tarkine, Tasmania
Unknown to many Australians, the largest temperate rainforest in the Southern Hemisphere lies in their backyard. With a wealth of Aboriginal cultural sites, a wild coastline, and a habitat harbouring 50 threatened species, it’s easy to see why the Tarkine may be Tassie’s best-kept secret. tarkinetrails.com.au

10. Little Desert National Park, Victoria
A desert in name only, many areas receive more than 600mm of rain a year. Excellent tracks make the 375km drive from Melbourne worthwhile. parkweb.vic.gov.au

11. Curio Bay, New Zealand
Near New Zealand’s southernmost tip lies a chance to step back to the Jurassic age. Just 88km from Invercargill, Curio Bay houses one of the world’s finest fossil forests. Formed 170 million years ago when ancient volcanoes flooded the forest floor with debris, the trees look like wood, yet feel just like stone. curiobay.org

12. Lake Waikaremoana, New Zealand
Hikers will love the great walk through the North Island’s largest untouched native forest. Leaving Rotorua behind, groups set off for four days passing lakes, bluffs and spectacular wilderness. walkinglegends.com

13. Poruma Island, Queensland
Tucked away in the Torres Strait archipelago, visitors to Poruma may come for the fishing but they stay for much more. The island’s 180 residents welcome guests with traditional cooking, arts and crafts. poruma.com

14. Adels Grove, QLD
The arid landscape west of Mount Isa makes the existence of the oasis that is Adels Grove even more remarkable. Those driving three hours towards the NT/QLD border will find a gorgeous gorge perfect for canoeing, swimming, fishing and birdwatching. www.adelsgrove.com.au

15. Capertee Valley, NSW
Capertee Valley is the second largest enclosed valley in the world (after the Grand Canyon), but tends to get overlooked for the Blue Mountains. Although mainly 4WD access, Gardens of Stone National Park’s rock formations and tranquility impress those who make the trip from Lithgow. environment.nsw.gov.au

16. Oxley Wild Rivers National Parks, NSW
This spectacular gorge country is even more impressive by helicopter, with the Flight of the Six Gorges a favourite. Taking in NSW’s highest waterfalls, found at Wollomombi Gorge, an hour-long aerial tour presents the national park’s rugged landscape at its most dramatic. fleethelicopters.com.au

17. White Cliffs, NSW
Coober Pedy is well-known for its underground living, but NSW has its own version. Most of White Cliffs’ 225 residents live beneath the red earth. Visitors can try it for themselves at one of the town’s hotels and B&Bs. visitnsw.com

18. Yankee Hat, Namadgi National Park, Australian Capital Territory
For visitors to Canberra, ancient rock art lies only an hour’s drive and a leisurely 3km stroll away. Deep in Namadgi National Park, Yankee Hat boasts two rock shelters, both with painted art. australianalps.deh.gov.au

19. Cape Range National Park, Western Australia
Whale sharks, manta rays and humpback whales make the Ningaloo barrier reef their home. On land the Cape Range National Park protects limestone ranges, breathtaking canyons and more than 700 caves. www.exmouthwa.com.au

20. Cape Leveque, WA
White sands and red earth make the Dampier Peninsula’s Cape Leveque a place to remember. Four-wheel-drives are strongly recommended, as is a stay at Kooljaman, a luxury campsite owned by the local indigenous communities. kooljaman.com.au

21. Cobourg Peninsula, Northern Territory
The final destination is the pristine beaches, sparkling waters, and abundant sea life of the Peninsula’s Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, but the journey through Kakadu is inspiring. travelnt.com – Sue White

What’s your idea of romance? The sexy streets of Manhattan? Staying in a secluded overwater bungalow in Tahiti? Sampling local seafood on Italy’s Sorrento Coast? We’ve spanned the globe for unique experiences that will put you in the mood.

URBAN RETREATS

Metropolitan life doesn’t have to mean compromising on creature comforts; the hidden hearts of many cities offer quiet relief.

New York

From uptown’s bustling avenues to the quiet, cobblestoned streets of downtown, New York is a study in contrasts. The greatest challenge is deciding where to stay. With its fireplace suites, Lafayette House (38 E. Fourth St.; +1 212 505 8100; doubles from $615) feels like your own pied-à-terre. Uptown, On the Ave (2178 Broadway; ontheave-nyc.com; doubles from $310) has a modern flair, including Italian black marble bathrooms. Pay a visit to the restored Plaza Hotel (Fifth Ave. at Central Park S.; +1 212 758 7777), where you can browse for art books at Assouline or try on vintage-inspired baubles at Kenneth Jay Lane, in the newly expanded shopping area. At the spruced-up Oak Bar, the wood panelling still glows warmly and the Central Park views are as stirring as always. Three blocks south, check out the skyline from the Peninsula New York’s new rooftop bar, Salon de Ning (700 Fifth Avenue; +1 212 247 2200). The vibe: 1930s Shanghai, with daybeds and mandarin-flavoured cocktails. For dinner, Café Cluny (284 W. 12th Street; +1 212 255 6900; dinner for two $140) is a portal to a Gallic village, where waitresses wear Audrey Tautou pigtails. End the evening at Smith & Mills (71 N. Moore Street; no phone), a tiny TriBeCa boîte in a former carriage house. The cosy banquettes can accommodate only a dozen-odd patrons. Bright lights, big city? From this vantage point, New York feels like a small town.

Istanbul

Open-air restaurants, crowded bazaars, and a swoon-inducing location on the Bosporus – this is a city made for wandering. You’ll find Istanbul at its most alluring in the quaint neighbourhoods on the European side of the strait. For lunch, try the sea-bass sandwiches at Mangerie (69 Cevdetpasa Cad.; +90 212 263 5199; lunch for two $85), a rooftop spot in the Bebek district. In the waterside Arnavutköy area, Dilara Erbay dishes up grilled fish at Abracadabra (50/1 Arnavutköy Cad.; +90 212 358 6087; dinner for two $120), housed in a wooden mansion. The nearby Rumeli Hisari fortress has panoramic views of the strait, making for a picturesque detour. After dark, there’s Anjelique (5 Salhane Sk.; +90 212 327 2844), a sultry waterside club set against the glowing Baroque Ortaköy Mosque. Take your pick of the new hotels: the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus (28 ÇiraganCad.; +90 212 381 4000; doubles from $850), in a 19th-century palace; W Istanbul (22 Suleyman Seba Cad.; +90 212 381 2121; doubles from $540), an edgy blend of contemporary design and Ottoman influences; or the Park Hyatt Maçka Palas (35 Bronz Sk.; +90 212 368 1234; doubles from $850), where several spa suites come with mini-hammams.

St. Petersburg

This former seat of imperial Russia has a surreal beauty, especially in the colder months when its fairy-tale architecture – the mint-green Winter Palace, the multi-striped onion domes of the Church on Spilled Blood – stands in sharp relief to the crystalline snow. The landmarks are worth a visit: the Mariinsky Theatre (1 Teatralnaya Ploshchad; +7 812 326 4141; mariinsky.ru) opened a $60 million concert hall in 2007. But save time to discover some local favourites. At the pan-Asian restaurant Terrassa (3Kazanskaya Ul.; +7 812 337 6837; dinner for two $130), ask for a seat on the glass-enclosed balcony overlooking Nevsky Prospekt. The less-discovered Vasilievsky Island, west of the city centre, is home to the low-lit Restoran (2 Tamozhenny Per.; +7 812 327 8979; dinner for two $125), known for its house-infused vodkas and pelmeni, Siberian dumplings filled with ground elk meat. Spend the night in one of the 60 new suites at the Taleon Imperial Hotel (59 Nab. Recki Nevy; +7 812 324 9911; eliseevpalacehotel.com; doubles from $580), a favourite of Russian high rollers. Or book a room at the recently restored Art Nouveau GrandHotel Europe (1/7 Mikhailovskaya Ul.; +7 812 329 6000; grandhoteleurope.com; doubles from $490).

Buenos Aires

Though its grand boulevards and Belle Epoque-style palaces give Buenos Aires a genteel air, underneath lies an unmistakably bohemian heart. Nowhere is this more apparent than in up-and-coming San Telmo, famous for its Sunday antiques market. Along the narrow cobblestone streets, faded mansions have been transformed into hotels, such as the sweet Cocker (458 Juan de Garay; +54 11 4362 8451; thecocker.com; doubles from $155, including breakfast) and the loft-style Moreno Buenos Aires (376 Moreno; +54 11 6091 2000; morenobuenosaires.com; doubles from $160, including breakfast). Restaurants run the gamut from the innovative La Vinería de Gualterio Bolívar (865 Bolívar; +54 11 4361 4709; tapas for two $125), where chef Alejandro Digilio plays with foams and candied lacquering in his pint-size space, to old-school parrillas (grills) like Desnivel (858 Defensa; +54 11 4300 9081; dinner for two $38). This is prime tango territory, and if you can’t make a show at the sultry Bar Sur (299 Estados Unidos; +54 11 4362 6086), catch a mini-performance in the windows of one of San Telmo’s many dance schools. End the night at the atmospheric El Federal (599 Carlos Calvo; +54 11 4300 4313), a watering hole open since 1864.

WINE RETREATS

It’s vintage relaxation: enjoying life’s pleasures in a beautiful vineyard.

Napa Valley

A pitch-perfect mix of wineries, restaurants and decidedly sybaritic hotels makes this the ultimate wine-lover’s escape. But the best part: there’s always something new to discover in this Californian valley. Late last year, chef Michael Chiarello launched Bottega Napa Valley (6525 Washington Street; +1 707 945 1050; dinner for two $120) in the town of Yountville. The menu is Italian, with dishes such as roast pork and honey-sage-roasted apples. Just a half hour drive north, in Angwin, the new Cade Winery (360 Howell Mountain Road; +1 707 945 1220) produces vintages in a solar-powered steel-and-wood space. The classics are still a draw, including Angèle (540 Main Street, Napa; +1 707 252 8115; dinner for two $155), a wood-beamed bistro on the Napa River, and Round Pond Estate (886 Rutherford Road, Rutherford; +1 707 302 2575), known for its robust cabernets. Check in to the light-filled Auberge du Soleil (180 Rutherford Hill Road, Rutherford; aubergedusoleil.com; doubles from $850), where the rooms – large stone fireplaces; private hot tubs – are made for couples. Or consider the intimate Poetry Inn (6380 Silverado Trail, Napa; +1 707 944 0646; doubles from $770, including breakfast), set on a pastoral hillside.

Chile

A two-and-a-half-hour drive north from Santiago leads to the heart of Chilean wine culture, Colchagua Valley. More than 30 wineries are scattered among the region’s colonial towns and haciendas, including Emiliana Orgánico (Camino Lo Moscoso, Placilla; +56 72 856 060; emiliano.cl) and Viña Montes (15 Parcela, Santa Cruz; +56 72 825 417). The most stunning of all is Clos Apalta (Km 4, Camino Apalta, Santa Cruz; +56 72 953 355; lapostolle.com), a new winery in the micro-valley of Apalta. With its rounded wood exterior and spiralling staircase, the structure resembles a deconstructed wine barrel. Clos Apalta shares a woody hillside with the Lapostolle Residence (+56 72 321 803; lapostolle.com; doubles from $1000, including meals and tour), just four 90-square-metre casitas with exposed beams and Cambodian silk curtains. For dinner, head to the nearby Asador del Valle (Los Boldos, Camino Isla Yaquil, Santa Cruz; +56 72 930 488; dinner for two $60), a rustic restaurant where three chef brothers roast Patagonia lamb whole on the spit.

ON THE WATERFRONT

Relaxing on a beach could be the easiest way to hide away from life’s stresses and strains and restore a sense of calm and peace.

Mauritius

Indian legend has it that the god Shiva was so captivated with this paradise on earth that he shed a tear, which fell to earth to form Grand Bassin lake in the island’s lush interior. The lake now hosts the second largest Hindu festival outside of India while the island’s renowned luxury resorts continue to be a major drawcard for honeymooners the world over. Mauritius has been judiciously adding five-star feathers to its already-brimming cap, and the latest is the indulgent Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita (Beau Champ; +230 402 3100; fourseasons.com/mauritius; doubles from $1300) which has stunning rooms with private plunge pools facing onto the lagoon, an overwater spa with local treatments and the Bambou pool bar and restaurant, perfect for watching the sun set behind the mountains that tower over the resort. For a more health-conscious stay try the Shanti Ananda Maurice (Rivière des Galets, Chemin Grenier; +230 603 7200; shantiananda.com; doubles from $1000) the second outing of the famous Himalayan spa resort where wellbeing is the order of the day with full Ayurvedic treatments available. Or for a romantic dinner be sure to get to the waterside Barlen’s restaurant at the island’s venerable Le Touessrok Resort (Trou d’Eau Douce; +230 402 7400; letouessrokresort.com; dinner for two $300) where fresh local ingredients are used in a tapas-style menu.

Thailand

Snuggled between soaring stretches of golden sand and verdant karst mountains, Hua Hin is home to King Bhumibol’s favourite palace, Klai Kangwon (meaning “far from worry”). But it’s the empty stretches of beach north and south of Hua Hin where the best escapes are emerging. At the Frangipani wing of the Aleenta Resort and Spa (183 Moo 4 Paknampran, Pranburi; +66 3261 8333; aleenta.com; doubles from $300) five charming rooms have views sweeping across the ocean. Nearby, the Six Senses Hideaway (9/22 Moo 5 Paknampran Beach, Pranburi; +66 (0) 32 618 200; sixsenses.com; villas from $500) is a classic; its 55 earthy pool-villas are so private you can skinny dip. At the sleek year-old Alila Cha-Am (115 Moo 7, Tambol Bangkao, Cha-Am; +66 3270 9555; alilahotels.com; rooms from $270), half an hour north of Hua Hin, mini-bars are so well stocked (home-made nibbles and a full bottle of Laurent Perrier champagne) you may not want to leave the room – unless it is to claim one of the several beach side salas. For a dash of local culture, head to Hua Hin’s popular Chap-Chai Night Market (Clock tower; daily from 6pm), where you can haggle for sarongs and hand-crafted bamboo bowls. End the day at La Mer (111 Khao Takiab Road; +66 32536205; dinner for two $60), where the local specialty, mao mok talay (seafood steamed with herbs), is served with a gentle sea breeze and the sparkling lights of calamari boats trawling into the night.

Tahiti

For the quintessential far-flung escape, there’s nothing like this South Pacific idyll, where barrier reefs meet cobalt lagoons and volcanic peaks rise above the tropical rain forest and powder-soft beaches. On an isolated islet, the recently opened Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora (Motu Tehotu; +689 603 130; fourseasons.com; bungalows from $1500) has 121 thatched-roof bungalows set on piers over the shallows, many with individual plunge pools and views of the lagoon and Mount Otemanu. The resort is all about bliss: a half-day sail to hidden snorkelling sites; a trip to a pearl farm; an afternoon lounging on the deck of a catamaran. For a more affordable stay, try the 80-room Novotel Bora Bora Beach Resort (accorhotels.com; doubles from $230), a Polynesian-style retreat set above Matira Point. Nearby, you’ll find the five-table restaurant Villa Mahana (+689 675 063; dinner for two $217), where Corsican-born chef Damian Rinaldi Dovio reinvents native ingredients (Tahitian vanilla oil, curry, coconut milk) with classic Mediterranean techniques.

Bali

This is a land of impossible beauty: wide beaches, elaborate Hindu temples, and terraced rice paddies unfolding in a checker-board against the mountains. The resorts here are tailormade for escaping into the landscape; among them is the five-month-old St.Regis Bali Resort (Kawasan Pariwisata, Nusa Dua; +877 787 3447; stregis.com; doubles from $700), where polished villas open onto private pools, a blue-tinged lagoon, and Nusa Dua’s white-sand beach. On nearby Jimbaran Beach, order lobster, shrimp or squid grilled over coconut husks at Jimbaran Fish Grills (no phone; lunch for two $30). Afterward, continue to the southernmost point of the island’s Bukit Peninsula for the views from one of Bali’s most sacred temples, Pura Luhur Uluwatu, which sits commandingly atop cliff.

India

The South Indian state of Kerala – the birthplace of Ayurveda – is an intricate web of calm backwaters. Here you’ll find the Kumarakom Lake Resort (Kumarakom North Post, Kottayam; +91 481 252 4900; thepaul.in; doubles from $680), set on 10 hectares alongside Lake Vembanad.A world unto itself, the resort features 49 villas that were created with materials sourced from century-old ancestral homes and are full of traditional details: wooden gables, carved doors, massive brass locks. Sample the spicy curries (okra-and-tomato bindi masala) and exotic ice creams (pepper; nutmeg) at the restaurant Ettukettu (dinner for two $93). A five-minute ride away is the 5.6 hectare Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, filled with storks, herons, egrets and parrots. You can also rent one of the property’s thatched-roof houseboats for a tour of the area’s palm-lined fields and Hindu temples. By day, float past villages and fishing canoes. Come night, you can be alone on the shimmering lake.

Greece

Just 36 square kilometres, the tiny island of Patmos in the Dodecanese archipelago is only accessible via boat. The rewards, however, are well worth the trip. From the port of Skala, head to Chora, a walled hilltop village that’s a maze of interlinked courtyards, chapels and whitewashed mansions – one of which serves as the town’s only hotel. At the 17th-century Archontariki (+30 22 470 29368; archontariki-patmos.gr; doubles from $395) you’ll find six modern-rustic suites with stone archways, teak furniture, and private rooftop terraces overlooking the Aegean Sea. Patmos has countless hidden coves and deserted beaches along its jigsaw coastline. Don’t miss a stroll on secluded Diakofti Beach – then try the fried zucchini balls at the shorefront food stand. At dusk, make your way to Benetos (Sapsila; +30 22470 33089; dinner for two $77), on the edge of Sapsila Bay, for fresh fish dishes such as grouper fillet with caramelised onions and herb-crusted seared tuna with wasabi and seaweed.

SECRET VILLAGES

These remote getaways are ideal locations for time out on the coast or mountains.

Otago Peninsula, New Zealand

Driving along low-lying Portobello Road, waves lapping at the car tyres, you really feel like you are getting away from it all in this South Island locale. This area has a ruggedly handsome quality and its diverse landscape, from sheltered coves to wind-pummelled cliffs, is home to myriad local wildlife. The best known is the Royal Albatross colony on Taiaroa Head (albatross.org.nz) but the cute yellow-eyed penguins at Penguin Place (Harington Point Road; +64 3 478 0286; penguinplace.co.nz) also make a good excuse for a romantic ramble at sunset when the petite sea birds bravely battle their way onshore amongst the crashing waves. For the ultimate getaway accommodation stay at Kaimata Retreat (297 Cape Saunders Road, Otago Peninsula, Dunedin; +64 3 456 3443; kaimatanz.com; doubles from $315) an amazing lodge hewn from local timbers that is perched high above the Papanui inlet. Snuggle next to the central fireplace, play a game, read a book or search for seals on the rocks below; early risers are rewarded with a stunning sunrise.

Chassignolles, France

Lost at a head-clearing elevation of more than 900 metres in the Livradois-Forez, France’s largest national park, 30 kilometres south-west of Lyons, Chassignolles invites long, extravagantly lazy days spent communing with cows, admiring the accidental land art created by a farmer with some hay bales and stopping to smell the rock roses that fringe the lanes. There is only one place to stay: Auberge de Chassignolles (Le Bourg; +33 4 71 76 32 36; aubergedechassignolles.com; doubles from $90; dinner for two $68). The eight rooms are basic, but the views are ravishing, whether of the village’s 12th-century church or the surrounding wildflower meadows. The English chef-owner Harry Lester, an early and important crusader in the gastropub campaign, will be chalking his menu board with dandelion-and-marigold salad dressed in sunflower oil, a citrusy fresh goat cheese, and a cherry-and-almond tart. If Chassignolles isn’t heaven on earth, it will have to do.

Vico Equense, Italy

A crenellated castle, pink-washed clifftop church and pebbled beach make Vico Equense perhaps the most dramatic – though surprisingly undiscovered – village on the Sorrento Coast. On the main coastal road, Annamaria Cuomo and Salvatore De Gennaro serve cured meats and cheeses at their epicurean market La Tradizione (969 Via R. Bosco; +39 081 802 8437; lunch for two $60). At Torre del Saracino (9 Via Torretta, Località Marina d’Equa; +39 081 802 8555; lunch for two $190), chef Gennaro Esposito creates innovative dishes, such as risotto with cod and figs, in a seventh-century tower. Stay just outside the village at the Hotel Capo LaGala (8 Via Luigi Serio; +39 081 801 5757;hotelcapolagala.com; doubles from $400), a stone-studded cliffside lodge. The hotel has a nautical theme: porthole windows and hurricane lamps in the lobby, blue-and-white guest rooms accented with miniature model boats. Book one of the nine Classic rooms and take your breakfast (cappuccino and croissants) on the roomy balcony overlooking the Bay of Naples.

DESERT GETAWAYS

Dusty, ancient landscapes conjure up an old romanticism that provide elegant travel destinations.

Fez, Morocco

Though often overshadowed by Marrakesh, its fashionable neighbour to the south, this medieval city is the real soul of Morocco. And with new boutique hotels opening in restored riads and dars, Fez is quietly coming into its own. Housed in a 17th-century palace, Riad Laaroussa (3 Derb Bechara; +212 74 187 639; riad-laaroussa.com; doubles from $300, including breakfast) has seven suites with mosaic floors and antique Fassi furniture, all looking out on an orange-tree-shaded courtyard. At Dar Roumana (30 Derb el Amer, Zkak Roumane; +212 35 741 637; darroumana.com; doubles from $170), a century-old manse on a hillside, you can take Moroccan cooking lessons. The restaurant at Riad Ibn Battouta (9 Derb Lalla Mina, Ave. Allal el Fassi; +212 35 637 191; riadibnbattouta.com; dinner for two $136) serves traditional dishes, such as lamb tagine, on a glass-roofed marble patio. Within the city’s crumbling walls, 30,000 artisans fill the streets, brandishing everything from exquisite tiles to hand-worked leathergoods. For a traditional Berber rug, head to Coin Berbère (67 Talaa Kebira,corner of Derb el Horra; +212 35 636 946). At the newly opened Arganza (9 Rue dela Poste; no phone), you’ll find shelves of argan oil – derived from a native tree – which is known as “Moroccan liquid gold” for its ability to diminish dry skin and wrinkles.

San Camp, Botswana

The middle of nowhere, recast as one of the sexiest places on earth? Only in Africa – the stark Makgadikgadi Pans in northeastern Botswana, to be precise. The Uncharted Africa Safari Company’s legendary SanCamp (+27 11 447 1605; doubles from $3040), which opened in 1994 and is a favourite of safari enthusiasts such as photographer Peter Beard, has been completely updated. The tented main lodge is now far more roomy and luxurious, without sacrificing a shred of the original San’s sensual charms: extra-long chaise longues in buttery leather; swing beds big enough for two. On the perimeter, six very private white-canvas tents are appointed with tall four-poster beds and hand-woven textiles; the enormous glass showers open to the deep-blue skies above. If you want to see more of Botswana, Uncharted Africa arranges multi-day safaris through the Okavango Delta, where zebra and cheetah roam along dried floodplains, and the Western Kalahari lands of the Bushmen.

MOUNTAINSIDE HIDEAWAYS

African treasures that once hosted an A-list crowd and jungle retreats are the perfect get-away-from-it-all spots.

Telluride, Colorado

Snowcapped mountains surround this mining-village-turned-ski-resort, where the scent of pine fills the air. Its streets are lined with 19th century gingerbread houses and family-run shops such as the Between the Covers Bookstore (224 W. Colorado Ave.; +1 970 728 4504), a cosy bookshop with a cafe; and at Coffee Cowboy (123 E. Colorado Ave.; +1 970 369 4946) locals fuel up on fair-trade espresso before taking on the slopes. At Honga’s Lotus Petal (135 E. Colorado St.; +970 728 5134), home to the town’s best après-ski scene, bartender Sean Garatt mixes potent mojitos. For an intimate dinner, reserve a table at La Marmotte (150 W. San Juan Ave.; +1 970 728 6232; dinner for two $130), a 125-year-old former icehouse. Book one of the new hotels in nearby Mountain Village; the easiest way to get there is by gondola, especially atmospheric at dusk, when the valley lights up from the glow of streetlights. At Lumière (118 Lost Creek Lane; +1 866 530 9466; lumierehotels.com; doubles from $319), all residences and penthouses come with a fireplace and oversize soaking tub. Or consider the 100-room Capella Telluride (568 Mountain Village Blvd.; +1 877 247 6688; capellatelluride.com; doubles from $295), set to debut this month. With a butler catering to your every need, you’ll be more than ready to hit the trails in the morning.

Kenya

Part of the romance of the Fairmont Mt Kenya Safari Club (Mt Kenya; +254 20 221 6940; fairmont.com/kenyasafariclub; doubles from $370) is its history as an international haunt for Hollywood’s A-list. Created by actor William Holden in the 1960s, this once-private members’ club became so popular as a getaway that Holden set up a studio in the grounds to shoot African-based epics, and Stephanie Powers and John Hurt maintain adjacent properties to this day. The Mountain View Bar and Lounge, which has seen more parties than most of us have had hot breakfasts, also has the added childish pleasure of being situated precisely on the equator so you can choose which hemisphere to take your tipple in. For a memorable start to the day take a horse ride to the base of the mountain past albino zebras and waterbucks to a multi-course breakfast arranged by the club. The Mt Kenya National Park has its fair share of things that can hurt you, which is why the helpful rangers are standing guard nearby.

Luang Prabang, Laos

Lying languidly at the spur-like confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, and surrounded by jungle-clad mountains, World Heritage-listed Luang Prabang is often described as one of south-east Asia’s best preserved small cities. An increasingly popular destination for westerners, Luang Prabang has nonetheless managed to retain a certain somnolent and, yes, romantic, atmosphere. Rise at dawn for tak bat, a silent procession through the historic centre by alm-seeking monks in saffron-coloured robes, vivid in the early morning half-light. This minor spectacle (best viewed at a polite distance) passes close to the affordable and elegant 15-room 3 Nagas by Alila (Ban Vatnong, Sakkaline Road, +856 71 253 888; alilahotels.com/3nagas; doubles from $192). Closer to the commanding Mount Phousi, the city’s spiritual and physical centrepiece and a popular sunset viewing location, is a new hotel, the 33-room Villa Maly (+ 856 71 253 903; villa-maly.com; doubles from $388). Vila Maly, built in a part of a former royal residence from the 1930s, has just launched Luang Prabang’s first lunch and dinner cruise boat, Nava Mekong (cruise and meal from $46 per person; cruise complimentary with a two nights or more stay at Villa Maly). On terra firma try dinner at the French colonial-style L’Elephant restaurant, (Ban Vat Nong; +856 71 252 482; elephant-restau.com; dinner for two about $90), which will also prepare picnic hampers on request for out-of-town excursions.

Planning a trip to Europe, and counting the cost? From planes, trains and automobiles to hotels and apartments, T+L provides you with the latest tips and travel news that will make your trip easier and save you money.

Getting there

In response to the global economic downturn at the end of last year airlines began offering business travellers some of the best deals that have been seen for many years. Australian travel commentator Martin Kelly, from TravelTrends.biz, says: “2009 is set to be the best year to travel internationally. Airlines are looking to stimulate demand.” One of the techniques being used to lure passengers back in to premium seats is companion fares. When you buy one ticket at the premium price you are given a second identical ticket for free. Japan Airlines (au.jal.com) was offering a companion business class fare for flights from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to London and Paris for $6079 (plus taxes).

Meanwhile Etihad (www.etihadairways.com) also released economy companion fares to 13 European cities with prices starting at $1515 (including taxes).

Industry observers believe that discounted prices and offers which have traditionally been restricted “early bird” packages, usually available from around October until March, may begin to appear throughout the year. As airline prices and plans are changing in response to demand the best way to keep up to date with all the latest deals is to subscribe to online airline newsletters. Online travel agents travel.com.au and bestflights.com.au also have newsletters that highlight new deals as they are announced.

LOW-COST CARRIERS

As more budget-conscious travellers opt for low-cost airlines, discount European carriers are expanding their networks. With 40 new routes planned for 2009, Ryanair (ryanair.com) is leading the way with flights between Edinburgh and Malta, and Oslo and Bolonga.

Rival EasyJet (easyjet.com) plans to launch 22 new routes this year, including from London Gatwick to Copenhagen and Berlin to Dubrovnik.

Lufthansa (lufthansa.com) has just launched its own low-cost carrier Lufthansa Italia, connecting Milan Malpensa to eight other European destinations, including Lisbon and Barcelona. We found a round trip ticket from Milan to Lisbon for $193.
But the best offers, at the time of writing, came from Ryanair, which was offering free seats throughout Europe. There were restrictions to the number of free seats available on each flight and it took time and patience to find return flights.

However, by being flexible with times, dates and even the destination it was possible to score free return tickets.

T+L TIP when booking online beware that insurance and checked-in luggage is often automatically selected. To avoid paying unnecessary charges make sure you unclick and update the page before making any payment.

Getting around

CARS

Short-term car rentals

The biggest news in European car rentals is short-term hires. Last spring, Hertz introduced Hertz 369, a program which allows travellers in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, UK, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to rent cars for three, six and nine-hour periods. This allows travellers the independence to have a day jaunt to the countryside, travel between neighbouring cities, or take one-way commutes to the airport.
However, like many European deals or special offers this is not currently available to book from Australia or New Zealand. You have to book once you are in Europe (hertz.co.uk).
Another option is the new Connect service from Hertz (connectbyhertz.com). This is a Mini Cooper car-share scheme with hourly rates for members. Again this is only available when you are in Europe and only in Paris and London.
The annual membership is $109 with hourly rates starting at $8.60 an hour with the first 50 kilometres free and 55 cents for every extra mile. Fuel, insurance and roadside assistance is all included making it a very attractive option.

Fuel efficiency
In Europe Avis, Europcar and Hertz have the Toyota Prius Hybrid as part of their fleets and these can be booked from here in advance.

Another alternative is to rent a fuel-efficient diesel, such as the Ford Focus Diesel and Opel Astra models. This can reduce the pain of high European fuel costs and offer substantial savings. But be warned, diesel is not automatically cheaper in all countries. Many Eastern Europe countries such as Slovakia, Estonia and Latvia have very expensive diesel but it is a good economic choice in France and Portugal where diesel is 33 cents a litre cheaper than unleaded.

T+L TIP When booking a car online or by phone directly with rental companies, your credit card details will be held but the payment will not be made until the car is picked up. However, if you want to lock in the exchange rate then book through a travel agent who has access to contracted Australian or New Zealand dollar rates and pay up front.

CRUISE
In terms of the best all-inclusive cost, you would be hard pressed to beat a cruise trip in the current climate. “It’s just a great value holiday,” says Brett Dudley, owner of cruise travel agency Ecruising. “For anyone going from Australia, there’s no comparison to a land-based holiday. It’s just such an economical way to see Europe.”
Once all costs are factored into a driving or land-based holiday, costs can reach $1000 a day, says Dudley, whereas a seven-night itinerary with Costa Cruises (costacruise.com) can cost from $100 a day, which covers accommodation, transportation, all meals and entertainment.

The fares for top-end cruise operators can reach up to $800 a day, but cover everything from luxury suites to fine dining, alcoholic beverages and gratuities.
Fares and itineraries are also set fairly far in advance with heavily discounted early-bird booking savings, such as 2010 world cruises with 60 per cent off. Competition between cruise-line operators is less fierce this year than in the previous few years, but there are still also many late deals available up to two or three weeks ahead of departure.

Cruise versus land-based trip
By sea Luxury operator Silversea Cruises (toll-free Australia 1300 306 872; 0800 701 427 New Zealand; silversea.com). has a 14-day Venice to Monte Carlo itinerary, with ports of call including Croatia, Sicily, Rome, Sorrento and Livorno, departing August 1. Prices start from $10,830 per person, based on double occupancy in a vista suite, which includes accommodation, dining, onboard entertainment, wines, champagne and spirits throughout the ship and gratuities.

By land A comparable itinerary would mean booking 11 different top-end hotels. Luxury properties in the regions covered by the cruise can be sought at about $1020 a night for an equivalent standard of room in Venice’s Hotel Gritti Palace. When all the equivalent costs of food, air travel between cities and ground transportation are added on, however, cruising can work out as a better value option.

HIGH-SPEED RAIL
Advances in Europe’s rail infrastructure have shaved hours off inter-country travel. Touring this way also saves precious holiday time in avoiding lengthy check-in requirements at airports, while most stations are conveniently located in the centre of cities. “The city-centre to city-centre trip is value because you’re not having to pay to get out to the airports and obviously a lot of people are time-poor so this helps as well,” says Greg McCallum, national sales manager for Rail Plus (1300 555 003; +64 9 377 5415; railplus.com.au). The Eurostar route between London and Paris takes just two hours and 15 minutes, with return fares from $130. Elsewhere, a new route between Madrid and Barcelona has cut three hours off the trip, which is now about two hours and 45 minutes. Rail operator Thalys, which runs between Paris, Cologne, Brussels and Amsterdam, is also launching faster routes; its Paris-Amsterdam trip is now three hours and 15 minutes. New fast routes are also scheduled to open between Figueres, Spain and Perpignan, France this year, while Italy is continuing to expand its high-speed network with a Rome-Milan service of three-and-a-half hours that runs 18 times a day. Be aware that some rail lines only allow bookings 60-90 days in advance.

LUXURY ROUTES
Central Europe has a new top-end rail service with the launch of the Budapest-based Danube Express(+44 1462 441400; danube-express.com), which takes in destinations including Prague, Vienna, Berlin and Istanbul. The 10-day Bosphorus Journey itinerary travels from London to Istanbul and covers seven nights’ hotel accommodation and two nights on the train, sightseeing tours and most meals, from about $5730 per person The Royal Scotsman (royalscotsman.com) runs a four-day tour out of Edinburgh with stops at Inverness and Perth, and includes the opportunity for fishing, clay-pigeon shooting and guided walks, with all meals and drinks included for $7230.

T+L TIP The UK is jammed packed with stately homes and historical buildings. The Great Heritage Pass (britishheritagepass.com) offers free access to over 580 properties. Prices start at a very reasonable $70 for four days and a family 4-day pass costs $216. A typical entry fee is $32 per person, for a visit to Leeds Castle in Kent, making the passes great value.

Breakout: BEATING EXCHANGE RATES
Australian travellers have not had the luxury that US visitors to Europe have had with some hotel chains offering fixed US dollar rates to beat currency changes. Many operators have included currency surcharge fees to counter the volatile economic climate, although there are some operators that have guaranteed no extra fees. Peregrine Adventures introduced a no currency surcharge policy last November on all its tours departing up until August 31, 2009. Marketing manager Jane Reed said the company had been confident that the prices there were offering weren’t going to be impacted by fluctuating exchange rates. “It certainly gives the consumer confidence in booking,” she says. “There’s so much going on in the marketplace at the moment; on the one hand there’s a certain amount of discounting going on, but there are also surcharges. Our policy just cuts through all that confusion for the traveller to let them book with confidence.”

Where to stay

BUSINESS BRAND HOTELS
Staying at a business chain hotel is a good way to score a bargain. Because corporate travellers are their bread-and-butter, these hotels often offer reduced rates to fill up rooms on the weekends.
“At the end of 2008, there was a rapid deterioration in occupancy in most European cities,” says Ben Walker, research manager for TRI Hospitality Consulting in London. “For the first time in many years, even London is a more affordable destination.”

WEEKEND DELIGHTS
At the time of writing, weekend rates at the Hilton London Olympia Hotel (380 Kensington High Street, W14 8NL; +44 207 603 3333; hilton.com/olympia) had dipped around 33 per cent to as low as $194 a night, while end-of the week prices at the Park Lane Intercontinental (One Hamilton Place, W1J 7QY; +44 207 409 3131; ichotelsgroup.com) dropped about 20 per cent to $645 per night. Even in busy periods it is worth checking out if hotels offer weekend deals that may include breakfast, free parking or family specials.
But as difficult as things are for established brands, says Walker, new hotels will have to work even harder to fill their rooms. Scandic Hotels (+46 8517 51720; scandichotels.com), for example, is opening seven new properties in Europe this year as part of a planned five-year expansion. New outposts include the Scandic Oslo Airport and a rebranding of the Palace Hotel in Copenhagen. When we went online the chain was offering a 40 per cent reduction per night at the Copenhagen Webers Hotel for guest staying between Friday and Sunday. The weekend rate was $199 compared to $330 during the week.
Spain-based Sol Melia (solmelia.com) is also debuting several new hotels. As part of its re-launch of the Gran Melia luxury brand, the company opened the doors of the renovated Gran Meliá Colón in the old quarter of Seville in February, and will open the doors of the Gran Meliá Creta in Crete in June. At the time of its launch, rooms were available online for $283 per night – almost 50 per cent off standard rates. In June the $240 million Rocco Forte Verdura Gofl and Spa Resort (Contrada Verdura Sciacca; +44 207 7663141; roccofortecollection.com) is due to open on the south coast of Sicily. Opening deals included seven nights for the price of five or 12 nights for the price of nine.

LOW-RATE CHAINS
Now more than ever, budget brands are popping up across Europe. This January, Hotel Indigo (+44 207 835 2000; hotelindigo.com), Intercontinental Hotel Group’s boutique brand, opened its first property in London, with plans for three more in the city by 2012. The 64-room Hotel Indigo London Paddington is long on personality and perks and short on price; double rooms start from $272 per night.

CitizenM (+31 208 117 055, citizenm.com) has opened its second property, CitizenM Amsterdam City, with a third hotel in Glasgow expected later this year. The openings are part of a five-year plan to have 20 properties throughout Europe. The current rates start at about $193 per night. The small rooms still manage to accommodate king-size beds, flat-screen televisions, wall-to-wall windows, and a MoodPad that allows technophiles to adjust all the room’s gadgets (television, music, window blinds, temperature, coloured lighting and wake-up alarm) from one spot.

DESIGNER DEALS
Last-minute bookings are become the worrying norm for the hotel industry so to encourage guests to book in advance Design Hotels (designhotels.com) is offering 10 per cent off bookings made 21 days in advance. The offer is valid only at certain of the company’s member hotels but includes properties in Italy, Spain, Estonia, Germany and Turkey.

VILLA RENTALS
European villas have always offered great value, especially if you have a large family or group of friends to split the tab.

* Abercrombie & Kent has an arm dedicated to villas and apartments. At Sanctuary Retreats (1300 851 800; sanctuary-retreats.com) there are more than 50 properties to browse. On offer are two types of rental; the villa only “tailor-made” rentals or “sanctuary hosted” which includes a welcome at the airport, daily maid, a stocked kitchen and breakfast delivered on your first morning.
On the online special deals page there were discounted villas offering prices 25 per cent cheaper than 2008 tariffs. The five-bedroom Tuscan property Podere Il Poggio has a permanent $3000 drop of price for a week-long stay. The house sleeps 10 making the new rate $1860 per person. Other offers include free hampers and discounted golf games.

* Elegant Resorts and Villas (02 8370 4850; elegantresorts.com.au) has a range of apartments in Florence, Paris, London, Venice and Rome. At the time of going to press this Australian company was offering a $200 discount on selected apartments in Italy. A stylish two-bedroom apartment in Rome’s Spanish Steps area starts at $365 per night for a minimum three-night stay. Meanwhile in London a two-bedroom apartment in Chelsea starts at $3530 a week.

* Citadines (citadines.com) offers what they describe as “apart’hotels” which are units with kitchens and other facilities including high-speed internet and access to meeting rooms. Citadines are currently operating in France, Germany, Belgium and the UK. Their website has a promotions page listing the current offers which can run up to two months in advance. At the time of writing the Citadines Paris La Défense, which is 10 minutes from the Champs-Élysées, was offering a weekend special; an apartment for four for $193 a night.

T+L TIP European school holidays are July and August so only week-long bookings are available. For more flexible short stays avoid those months.

San Sebastian boasts more Michelin-starred chefs than anywhere else in the world. Sally Webb and Simon Thomsen took a culinary tour around Spain’s food mecca.

Two small white envelopes on the table at Mugaritz offer a choice. On one “150 min… rebel!” is typed; on the other “150 min… submit!” Inside “rebel”, a card says: “150 minutes to feel embarrassed, flustered, fed up…” It sums up our mood on arrival at this gracious restaurant, supposedly 20 minute’s drive from San Sebastian, after getting horribly lost despite ringing twice for directions. Ninety minutes late, we eventually pull up at a stone farmhouse surrounded by fields full of haystacks shaped the way Monet loved to paint them. As a result of our tardiness, our meal in the spacious and slightly rustic dining room is a truncated version of Mugaritz’s usual 11-dish parade, but we choose to submit and let the humour and cleverness of this remarkable restaurant lift our spirits.

The two words – submit and rebel – sum up the Basque spirit: fiercely independent and free-spirited, yet practical and politically savvy. Basques would opt for both. The region, which straddles the French and Spanish borders, has been seminal in shaping Europe’s worldview and the world itself. Indeed it was a Basque navigator, Juan Sebastian Elcano from Getaria, a fishing village west of San Sebastian, who fulfilled explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s vision to circumnavigate the globe.

San Sebastian, the capital of the Spanish Basque region – Pais Vasco in Spanish, or Euskadi in Basque – has been a thriving seaside resort since the 19th century when Queen Isabel II made sea bathing fashionable here. It is still immensely popular as a summer playground – Playa De La Concha is one of the world’s most beautiful city beaches ­– and as host to an annual international film festival whose 57th edition takes place in September. Known officially as Donostia-San Sebastian (Donostia is its Basque name), this city of 200,000 people is also regarded as the culinary capital of the world, boasting more Michelin stars per capita than anywhere else in the world. On this trip our sightseeing is of the gastronomic kind ­– we have come to eat and eat and eat some more – and Michelin star-gazing is top of the list.

But a bowl of warm stones? The first offering at the two-star Mugaritz is a witty conjurer’s trick that sets the tone for an astonishing meal. We bite into the softer pebbles, avoiding the marble ones they sit beside, and the crisp shell, made of a special clay that is said to aid digestion, reveals a creamy potato core. Chef Andoni Aduriz blends tradition and symbolism with the latest culinary techniques for a meal of surprise and delight. Aduriz, 37, was an apprentice to Ferran Adrià of El Bulli, regarded as Spain’s – and the world’s – best restaurant, however his food lacks the soul of his mentor’s intellect. The next course, “vegetable” carpaccio, is also an illusion. It mimics the Italian raw meat dish, but is actually watermelon – not that you know from the indeterminate taste – with a scattering of pine nuts, baby leaves and shaved Idiazabal, a local sheep’s milk cheese. Our meal wends its way from roast baby pig on nutty quinoa (a high-protein seed) with fermented leaves to three desserts, including chocolate cake beside a cocoa bubble bath. When what looks like a mint appears, we try to eat it before the waiter can arrive to pour hot tea over it. The lozenge expands, metamorphosing into a hand towel to conclude the meal. We won’t rebel again.

The genesis of San Sebastian’s golden culinary age can be traced back to the time of dictator Francisco Franco’s death in 1975. The Basques opposed fascism before the rest of the world understood its grim meaning. They paid a heavy price with the 1937 bombing of Guernica. For the next four decades, Franco suppressed Basque culture as well as Euskera, the Z, K and X-laced native language that makes the region bilingual and defines its people. Through its struggle to survive, the Basque country has thrived.

In his compelling book, The Basque History of the World, Mark Kurlansky attempts to understand the region’s mindset, describing Basques as mythical, with an ancient culture, yet unflinchingly progressive. They lay claim to pioneering everything from democracy to free trade, workers co-operatives and salt cod. Then there are the bragging rights to one of the world’s greatest buildings, Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum at Bilbao, a previously listless industrial port transforming into a thriving cultural centre. Creativity and regeneration underpin Euskadi.

In 1975, 12 apostles of modern Basque cooking gathered to reassert their cultural identity through food. They included Juan Mari Arzak, Pedro Subijana (of the three-star Akelare restaurant) and Luis Irizar, the movement’s patriarch, whose cooking school, now run by his daughter Visi, continues to train both amateurs and professionals alike. Inspired by France’s nouvelle cuisine, the group met monthly for special dinners that gave a contemporary energy to traditional recipes. Modern Spanish cuisine was forged in passionate debates over these tables. The master of nueva cocina, Ferran Adrià, is a descendant of this time.

Juan Mari Arzak’s culinary heritage is remarkable. His grandparents opened a taberna in San Sebastian in 1897. His daughter, Elena Arzak Espina, is the fourth generation to ply the family trade on this site. For 20 years, their eponymous restaurant, on a road climbing through the suburbs, has held three Michelin stars. It ranks in the world’s top 10. Dad’s imagination continues to fire in Arzak’s test kitchen, where a library of 1500 ingredients is re-invented in new forms. Elena, 39, is his collaborator and heir apparent. Desiccation is a current infatuation.

In a crisply masculine space of black walls, we’re seated upstairs, where the sommelier marches past like a testosterone-laden toreador. Arzak’s waitresses, dressed in designer pinafores, bear the warmth. We opt for the degustation with enigmatically poetic dishes such as “meat on frost”, “fade away” and “lunar sweet”. It begins with a series of clever amuse bouche, including a vegetable “fossil”, lotus root sandwich with fish mousse and a black alabaster plinth of golden nuggets of mushroom and rice that explode in the mouth like pop rocks. Five infinitely clever, visually striking savoury dishes follow including a black plate of lobster claw on a white olive oil powder with a saffron sauce; sole with edible clay; and pigeon breast with Chinese wolfberries, plus tomato and potato, reshaped into puzzle pieces. The theatrical highlight is a dessert of baked pineapple with a volcano of ‘bubbling rum’. Pina colada is poured into a tall glass of dry ice creating a 45-second eruption across the plate. Elena Arzak is a gracious host and visits her diners for an amiable chat, explaining the intricacies of her food to anyone interested and championing her father’s legacy. It’s been an intelligent, fascinating and impressive meal, yet we feel strangely unmoved. Perhaps it’s just too clever.

Back on our first night in San Sebastian, we sought tradition at Saltxipi restaurant, a short walk from our plush boutique hotel, Villa Soro. Chef Ana Mari Añorga is the second generation of her family to cook there, while her son is on the floor. The food is straightforward, delicious and peppered with classics such as lightly fried Gernika chillies – more sweet than hot, but watch out for the occasional surprise – salt cod tortilla, gelatinous kokotxas (hake cheeks) with white parsley sauce and baked clams in wet, lemony rice. Saltxipi’s specialty is txangurro (spider crab); the sweet, splintered flesh is woven into salads, fried in croquettes or simply boiled. It’s an honest, well-priced meal. Our young children, dining out at 9pm, eat everything and are so well-behaved you’d swear they’re Basque at heart.

Our days begin to take on a particular rhythm: mornings exploring the city and region, lunch in a smart restaurant, a siesta, a stroll along the waterfront promenades at La Concha and Ondarreta beach, where a fine children’s playground is set in the beach sand. Then in the late evenings we trawl the downtown tapas bars.
For lunch one day we weave through a latticework of streets on the city’s suburban outskirts seeking Martin Berasategui’s eponymous restaurant. The chef has kindly marked the way with his distinctive logo of a toqued chef’s profile inset with a ladle.
The buildings stop suddenly to unfurl a splendid rural setting. Berasategui’s royal-blue flagship restaurant is awash with black-clad waiters and the trappings of fine dining: padded stands for handbags and toothbrushes in the bathroom. The menu lists the date for each creation and is filled with molecular wizardry – gels, foams, dehydration, Miro-like squiggles of sauce and puree – amid some heavenly combinations. Every dish is petite, so even dining à la carte is a mini-degustation. The “Great” degustation is 13 courses, starting with a vibrant peach gazpacho with cockles and txakoli, a quirky, spritzy Basque white wine. Roast red mullet with crisp fish scales is an extraordinary new dish, with a saffron-scented fish broth and what appears to be an olive but is a liquid gel filled with concentrated olive flavour. Celery ice-cream with a smear of beetroot, celery sprouts, mango and an eau de vie granita initially confounds then intrigues. His menu declares “I propose that you allow me to seduce you”. The chef appears to say hello to all his guests. He seems shy, moving on quickly, yet the memory of his cooking lingers.

Pintxos is the Basque word for tapas, although the locals claim they were first on that front too. Every evening, San Sebastian’s Parte Vieja (old quarter), the waterfront neck leading to Monte Urgull, between the river and La Concha, comes alive with revellers moving from bar to bar, grazing on small morsels. Across the river is the Gros quarter, where pintxos take on a more modern hue. There, the likes of Alona Berri add nueva cocina razzle dazzle to its nibbles, such as brandada – potato and salt cod – in a clam-like pastry shell.
Tonight our guide is Gabriella Ranelli de Aguirre, an expat New Yorker who fell in love with the region and a Basque man a decade earlier and now runs cultural and culinary tours. She counts San Sebastian’s galaxy of star chefs among her friends. The legendary must visit is Txepetxa, where vinegar-cured anchovies star in a kaleidoscope of combinations. There’s soccer on the corner TV. You can pick the locals by the hands on heads and over faces as Madrid and Barcelona battle it out. The wall is covered in media clippings; the crowd is international. The check-shirted barmen, slightly insouciant, shout orders to kitchen through a microphone like a ship’s captain bellowing orders to the engine room. Anchovies with olive purée appear, crab on bread and skewers of anchovy with pickled chillies. The barman theatrically pours txakoli from a great height. It’s fresh, acidic and lightly fizzy. It’s all fast, furious and fun.

At Casa Tiburcio we tuck into pig’s ear, pig’s trotter and beef cheek with apple sauce, before moving onto La Vina. It’s not the Parte Vieja’s best-looking bar, but the boys standing under the foil-capped jamons have quick smiles and a twinkle in their eyes. The chorizo a la sidra (in cider) and still-warm tortilla are delicious, but it’s the torta de queso (cheesecake), wantonly rich with an oozing creamy centre that is like a siren song. Our final stop is Bar Txurrut in Plaza de la Constitución for a nightcap of patxaran, a crimson Basque liqueur made from wild sloe berries and anise, served in a brandy balloon on ice. The square was historically used for bullfighting. The numbers on each balcony are a reminder that no matter who resides there, the traditional family owners retain the rights to the view the action from those balconies. You can almost hear the ghosts, but it could be the patxaran speaking.
By day, Parte Vieja is full of small joys to discover: La Koxkera, the salt cod shop; San Jeronimo, where you can watch la senora hand-make potato crisps, then buy a bag; the delicatessen Zapore Jai, with its vast range of Bellota (acorn fed) hams, lomo (cured pork sausages), cheeses and wines. You can even find a txapela, the beret many regard as French, which is truly Basque.

The next day from our rustic agroturismo at Monte Igeldo high on the coastal cliffs overlooking the lapis-lazuli-coloured sea than can transform to slate-grey as the weather changes its mood, we set off towards Bilbao, looking for Asador Extebarri. It has no Michelin stars, but last year made the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and counts Neil Perry among its fans. As we climb into the mist-covered hills and the dramatic, saw-toothed mountains of the Basque countryside, the graffiti proclaims it as ETA country. The once-feared, violent independence organisation called a ceasefire in 2006, but their patriotism continues raw and unabated.

Etxaberria means “new house”. It’s a wry joke that also plays on the Basque notion of the house as family identity. Chef Victor Arginzoniz, a man as painfully shy as he is brilliant, restored this 18th-century stone building in the village square 20 years ago. Jagged limestone peaks encase the setting. His octogenarian father grows most of the vegetables, while his wife, Patricia, runs front-of-house. His sous chef, Lennox Hastie, is a Brisbane boy, passing through, who stayed.

Arginzoniz ‘s food is simple and straightforward, yet carries its own drama as it lets great produce prosecute its merits. Everything is exquisitely perfumed with smoke from la brasa, the charcoal grill, or wood-fired oven. We start with a wedge of pungent, hand-churned sheep’s milk butter, covered in sulphurous volcanic salt. The sublime parade includes wild mushrooms, a single prawn – pulled live from a tank, just before cooking – smoky from oak wood, and an elegant take on txipirones, the Basque classic of baby squid and onion, before the most exquisite dish. A bowl of earthy, baked purple congo potato with smoky, creamy egg yolk, is capped with shaved white Alba truffle. It is prince and pauper in one. Then comes steak on the bone, wonderfully charred and flavoursome, from a 20-year-old grass-fed dairy cow, Hastie explains later. After apple tarte tatin with smoked sheep’s milk ice-cream, we understand why he couldn’t leave. Asador Extebarri is a rare gem.

For our final lunch, we head to Getaria via the slow, winding backroads that twist and cling to the river valleys, through industrial villages once famed for worker’s co-operatives, but now, like the rest of the world, grappling for relevance in a skittish global economy. The vibrantly painted fishing fleet plies its trade daily from Getaria’s small harbour. Fittingly, the village restaurants all feature outdoor wood-fired grills for cooking fish. Beside the 14th-century Gothic church where Juan Sebastian Elcano was baptised is Iribar, a small restaurant and hotel. The cheesy nautical décor doesn’t look like it’s been updated since the local hero went a-roaming. We order whole lupia (sea bass),which disappears outside to the grill returning (with the fishhook still in its mouth) wonderfully smoky, with crisply charred skin. In between, we’ve been entertained by txipirones in its own ink and roast octopus with paprika and honey as shafts of sunlight rake slowly across the church.

Amid such history, and such pleasure, there is no choice but to submit.

Where to stay

Villa Soro Avda de Ategorrieta, 61, San Sebastian 200013; +34 943 297 970; villasoro.com; doubles from €165, breakfast included.

Agroturismo Maddiola Rustic farmstay with amazing ocean views. Aita Orkolaga, 161, San Sebastian 20008, +34 652 703 128; agroturismomaddiola.com; doubles from €57, breakfast €5.

Hotel Codina Contemporary, business-like 65-room property, next to Ondaretta Beach and the Palacio de Miramar. Avda. Zumalacárregui, 21. San Sebastián; +34 94 322 200; hotelcodina.es. doubles from €85.

Where to eat

Saltxipi
Calzada Vieja de Ategorrieta 3, Donostia- San Sebastián; +34 943 323 310; meal for two about €100

Mugaritz
Otzazulueta Baserria, Aldura Aldea 20, 20100 Errenteria; +34 943 522 455; à la carte for two about €160; tasting menus € 85-130

Arzak,
273 Avenida Alcalde Elosegui, 20015 San Sebastian;
+34 943 278 465; à la carte for two, about €220; tasting menus €109-135

Martin Berasategui
Calle Loidi 4, 20160 Lasarte-Oria; +34 943 366 471; à la carte for two, about €200; tasting menu €155

Asador Etxebarri
Plaza San Juan 1, 48291 Axpe-Marzana, Atxondo-Bizkaia; +34 946 583 042; à la carte for two, about €140; tasting menu approx €100

Iribar
Kale Nagusia 34, 20808 Getaria; +34 943 140 406; à la carte for two, about €90

Pintxos bars

These are just some of the many wonderful pinxtos bars.

La Viña
31 de Agosto, 3, Parte Vieja +34 943 427 495

Txepetxa
Calle Pescadería, 5, Parte Vieja; +34 943 342 227

Casa Tiburcio
Fermin Calbeton, 40, Parte Vieja, +34 943 423 130. Celebrating its 80th year, an old-school bar (and Real Sociedad fans) with great offal.

Gandarias Taberna
Calle 31 de Agosto 23, Parte Vieja; +34 943 426 362. Classic pintxos and a good restaurant too, with great wines. Try txangurro tarts.

Bar Tamboril
Pescaderia, 2, Parte Vieja; +34 943 423 507. Try salt-cod stuffed peppers & battered prawns.

Aloña Berri
Calle de Bermingham 24, Gros; +34 943 290 818. In the Gros quarter. Flash, expensive and cutting edge. Try anchovy sorbet.

Mil Catas
Calle Zabaleta, 55, Gros; +34 943 32 16 56. Smart new-waver with streetside tables. Try creamy rice with wild mushies and foie gras.

El Lagar
Calle Zabaleta, 55, Gros, +34 943 320 329. Funky newcomer with good blackboard wine list. Try huevos estrellados (“crashed” eggs), a Madrid dish with potatoes and mushrooms.

Casa Senra
San Francisco, 32, Gros, +34 943 293 819. Try grilled squid with chestnut puree and baby blood sausages.

What to do

Luis Irizar Cooking School
Five-day courses in July & August, in English. Mari 5, SanSebastian. +34 943 431 540. escuelairizar.com

57th San Sebastian International Film Festival
Imagine Cannes with better food, Pedro Almodovar and less artifice. September 18-27; sansebastianfestival.com

Chillida-Leku Museum
The grounds of the late Basque sculptor’s house, 10 minutes from San Sebastian. Jauregui 66, Hernani, +34 943 336 006; museochillidaleku.com

Tenedor Tours
Gabriella Ranelli de Aguirre takes private groups on gastronomic tours, +34 943 313 929; tenedortours.com

Where to shop

Leclercq Sombrereria Narrica, 18, 20003 San Sebastian; +34 943 422 059. Keep the rain off with a wool Basque beret from this traditional hatters.

Kukuxumusu Mayor, 15, 20003 San Sebastian; +34 943 421 184. The Basque Mambo, which began in Pamplona 20 years ago. Grab a witty T-shirt for the kids.

Alboka For traditional handicrafts, linen and ceramics. Plaza de la Constitución, 8, San Sebastian; +34 943 436 300.

Zapore Jai Delicatessen San Jeronimo 21, San Sebastian; +34 943 422 882. Iberian ham, fish and shellfish conserves, foie gras and pates, cheeses, wine and cider.

Sala Nort Kale Nagusia, 22 20808 Getaria; +34 943 140 624. Delicatessen with preserved artisan foods of the village, especially octopus, bonito, anchovies and squid, plus wines.

San Sebastian recipies

With iPods a travel essential these days, Travel + Leisure has compiled the ultimate, and completely subjective, traveller’s playlist. We have avoided destination songs and focussed on music that evokes the spirit of travel: celebratory road trips, the itch to get on a plane or the occasional quiet moment of introspection experienced while on the move. But there are no doubt more songs to add, email us with your music travel essentials.

1. Motel Blues, Loudon Wainwright III
A particular type of travel, the existential angst of the travelling troubadour this perfect sketch of loneliness is one of Wainwright’s most raw and personal songs. The naked desperation in the final stanza, “Come up to my motel room/Save my life” is at once sleazy and heartbreaking, a rare combination.

2. Refuge of the Road, Joni Mitchell
Travel as a place to hide and to renew. And most of all to gain a bit of perspective as to how insignificant we all are: “In a highway service station/Over the month of June/Was a photograph of the earth/Taken coming back from the moon/And you couldn’t see a city/On that marbled bowling ball/Or a forest or a highway/Or me here least of all.” A service station stop has never been the same, Joni.

3. Wide Open Road, The Triffids
Another writer to seek solace in the constant movement of the road trip. Spurned lover David McComb takes to the endless expanse of Australia to try and forget that his lover has left him, sporadically taking his rage out on the surrounding countryside. “The sky was big and empty/My chest filled to explode/I yelled my insides out at the sun/At the wide open road.” Not happy travel, but very cathartic.

4. Leaving on a Jet Plane, Peter, Paul and Mary
Capturing the moment when we leave a loved one behind, this mournful classic was penned by John Denver and Kenneth Browder in an airport lounge in Washington, giving it extra travel kudos. Peter, Paul and Mary made the song their own, however.

5. Station Approach, Elbow
The antithesis to the above, this is a song about coming home. Having hit the road, presumably on a lengthy tour, gruff Northern poet Guy Garvey just wants to get back to Manchester since he “hasn’t seen my Mum for weeks”. And who can argue with the quiet mantra: “I never know what I want but I know when I’m low that I/I need to be in the town where they know what I’m like and don’t mind.” That’s something to come home to.

6. Traveller’s Tune, Ocean Colour Scene
Raucous Britpop tribute to daydream escapism, this Birmingham-based five-piece band chronicle the frustration of chasing a perennial travel dreamer: “But if you find yourself standing on the corner while you’re thinking of a different world/Then you might see me waiting on the corner staring through you in your different world.”

7. Transit Lounge, Crowded House
The layering on this even suggests the confusion of waiting around in lounges with German boarding announcements and general travel hubub. But travellers will most likely relate to the chorus, which could double as a practical travel tip. “Lying on the floor of a transit lounge/There’ll be no announcements made/You better make sure you don’t sleep too sound/There’ll be no announcements made.” Keep the iPod on low.

8. Every F***ing City, Paul Kelly
A love song played out on the European backpacker trail (“We split up for a while in Barcelona/We met up six days later in Madrid/I was hoping that the break would make things go a little better for us/And for a little while it almost did.”) but as the continental chase continues and the city’s fly by our protagonist finally gets travel weary proclaiming “Every f***ing city looks the same”. Honourable mention also goes to Kelly’s bus travel opus From St Kilda to Kings Cross.

9. Like a Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan
“How does it feel/To be on your own/With no direction home/Like a complete unknown/Like a rolling stone?” Well, sometimes Bob, it feels pretty damn good, thanks for asking. Dylan’s rollicking classic is a perfect paean to aimless wandering.

10. Roam, the B52s
It’s not just the sentiment of roaming ‘round the world or the trip that “beings with a kiss” but the sheer glee with which Kate and Cindy belt out this travellin’ ditty. So hit the road and, who knows, you may wind up at your very own private Idaho.

The many geographical influences in Cape Town have provided it with a diverse food and wine scene full of passionate locals and innovative newcomers. Sally Webb delves into the epicurean delights of South Africa’s oldest city.

There’s a hospitable ring to the name Table Mountain, but 30 minutes into our 700-metre scramble up Cape Town’s iconic landmark, the weather closes in. It’s freezing, impossibly windy and the driving rain stings legs and faces on the two-hour climb. Our reward of breakfast-with-a-view from the top, 1000 metres above sea level, has been blown away too. Down below, the sun shines across the city, but now a heavy tablecloth of cloud has covered the mountaintop, we can’t see a thing and the peak has shut down in the face of the onslaught. It’s our second morning in Cape Town and despite my intrepid delusion, I’d rather be sipping coffee on Kloof Street than battling the furiously inhospitable summit.

Adverse weather has closed the aerial cableway (our intended method of descent), so almost as soon as we reach the top of the Platteklip Gorge trail we have to gingerly retrace our steps in descent.

The blustering wind refuses to abate; the cableway remains stilled for the rest of our stay, so we never see the fabled summit view. Summer’s prevailing south-easter, known as the Cape Doctor, can play havoc with your plans in Cape Town, we discover. The sea gets so choppy that ferries to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 years, are cancelled.

Ironically the blustery weather is a leave pass to explore the pleasures of Cape Town’s other table, with its generous local wine lists. In February 2009, during our visit, the region marked the 350th anniversary of the Cape’s first wine being made. We’re more than happy to raise a glass in celebration as we explore the local food scene.

Cape Town is South Africa’s oldest and most cosmopolitan city, boasting a stunning natural setting that makes it one of the world’s most impressive metropolises. From 1488, the Cape provided safe anchorage to Portuguese, Dutch and British ships – one guidebook poetically dubbed it “a glorified tuck-shop for European seafarers travelling to and from the east” – but it wasn’t until 1652 that the Dutch East India Company, under Commander Jan van Riebeeck, established a base here and started shaping the city that we see today.
Tremendously appealing for the visitor, Cape Town has a bit of everything: stunning coastline, gorgeous beaches, a pristine national park with unique flora, a vibrant city centre with excellent museums, shops and restaurants, wineries within the urban sprawl and wonderful architecture. There’s 17th-century buildings established by the Dutch, to Victorian-era bathing boxes at Muizenberg beach, art-deco commercial edifices, and the distinctive pastel-coloured dwellings of Bo-Kaap, the Cape Malay quarter. Historic precincts and the historical scars of apartheid land clearances are juxtaposed with brand new developments. Urban regeneration is breathing new life into areas such as De Waterkant, where former industrial edifices now house “lifestyle” apartments and dining and retail complexes, and Green Point, where the massive 68,000-seat stadium for the World Cup in 2010 is taking shape on the foreshore parkland. The city is easy to navigate and security is less of an issue here than elsewhere in this still troubled country.

Equally appealing, South Africa one of the few places where the Australian dollar is still worth something. Buy a glass of very good wine in a restaurant or bar and you’re likely to receive a glass of twice the size (up to 250ml) for half the price you’re used to paying, which makes it four times better value.

Our first culinary stop leads us to familiar faces. Sydney gourmands may recall Laurent Deslandes and Cyrillia van der Merwe for their two-hat restaurant Collits Inn, an historic whitewashed inn at the Blue Mountains’ western foothills. It was named best regional restaurant in the 2006 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide.

For South African-born van der Merwe, returning to her homeland meant that they could be closer to family and to France. Their new bistro, Bizerca in the heart of Cape Town’s commercial hub, is wowing the local food cognoscenti in a cool if quirky space (it was previously a church) with polished concrete floor and white tables with graphic black designs.

“After Collits Inn we really liked the industrial space – something modern and simple and without dust,” says van der Merwe. Deslandes gives an elegant sheen to his casual bistro approach, with a liberal sprinkling of offal amid a blackboard menu of French staples, such as poached veal tongue, sweetly minerally local oysters with ginger and cucumber, a luscious bouillabaisse that sings of the sea, and a clever tomato tasting plate demonstrating the depth of the chef’s classical French training. Cassoulet Toulousain proves you can take the chef out of France, but his palate will never leave.

The next evening we head to Carne, a hip new steakhouse from the team behind the popular city stalwart 95 Keerom. As we pull up in the crowded cul-de-sac outside, a man pokes his head through the car window offering to park the car. I can’t work out whether it’s a ruse to take off in our rental vehicle or clever job creation. Valet parking seems a touch too LA and quite out of place here, where you are often guided, for a “tip” of a rand or two, by self-styled “parking attendants” into empty spaces that you’d have no trouble finding, or negotiating, yourself.

Carne, as the name implies, melds an Italian sensibility to meat. A masculine warehouse-like space of timber and steel, it has wooden bench tables and Philippe Starck Louis Ghost chairs. The timber still smells of varnish as we settle ourselves into a low sofa in Carne’s bar, barely days after opening, and order glasses of sparkling white marketed here as Méthode Cap Classique, the local denomination of méthode champenoise. With a fine bead and a yeasty nose it comes pretty close to imitating actual champagne, were it not for the $4.50 price tag.

Slabs of raw protein – steaks from the Karoo-raised Italian breed, Romagnola, in all shapes and sizes, awaiting the chargrill – are presented on a platter and explained as a precursor to any decision. Along with antipasti and pasta, the menu also explores local game, from kudu tartare to a gamey ostrich lasagne as well as the fifth quarter (offal). Presentation is simple, with the flavour paramount, in keeping with the Italian approach.

The Javanese convicts, political dissidents and Muslims brought to Cape Town by the Dutch gave the region one of its most distinctive modern food styles and cultures, Cape Malay. Biesmiellah, named after the Muslim prayer that begins the meal, is an institution in the Malay quarter, Bo-Kaap. There are flasher alternatives to this slightly shop-worn street-corner setting, but you can still taste the history in spice-laden dishes such as tomato bredie (braised lamb with onions and tomato) and denningvleis – lamb cutlets in a tamarind-laced sweet-sour sauce, served with almond- and raisin-studded saffron rice and mashed potatoes. While Biesmiellah is now on the tourist trail, despite serving no alcohol, it remains a quintessential Cape Town experience.

From our smart boutique hotel Derwent House in the Tamberskloof area, we’re only steps away from Cape Town’s busy cafe strip on Kloof Street. We make repeat visits to the gorgeously styled Manna Epicure, one of Cyrillia van der Merwe’s favourite haunts, which is bright and breezy with chirpy staff dressed in white, and a menu offering excellent breakfast fare plus tasty options for lunch or brunch – doorstopper-sized open sandwiches, tomato tarte tatin and meal-in-themselves salads. The funky little Portuguese-styled, shiny red chain, Vida e Caffe, produces the best coffee we taste in South Africa, while Melissa’s providore and cafe serves up indulgent brunch dishes, including wicked eggs Florentine, and packages of home-made everything, from meringues to moussaka. High tea on the shade-dappled veranda of the pink Victorian-era, Mount Nelson Hotel, which is set amid glorious gardens just off Kloof Street, is a lovely old-fashioned experience giving a glimpse of the British colonial past.

South of the city is a long peninsula, bordered by False Bay to the east and the Atlantic to the west. At the pretty fishing harbour of Kalk Bay, where a small fleet offloads its daily catch, there’s a cluster of groovy cafes and a couple of excellent seafood restaurants. Further south is Simon’s Town, a pretty Victorian-era town and the main base for the South African navy, and Boulders Beach, home to a colony of 3000 African penguins. Beyond here it’s another half hour or so to the Cape of Good Hope, but we’ve left it too late to get there and back in time for dinner.

South Africa’s “Big Five” usually refers to lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino – traditionally the most dangerous wild animals for game hunters to pursue. But there’s an alternative “big five” in the Cape – sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, chenin blanc, colombard and cabernet sauvignon – which don’t involve quite as much danger, except to the liver.

It’s just a few days after the 350th anniversary of Cape Town’s first wine being pressed when we head to Constantia, a bucolic suburb just 15 minutes’ drive from the town centre. We drive into the glorious grounds of Constantia Uitsig Wine Estate on the southern slopes of Table Mountain, with a winemaking history dating back to 1685. It also hosts 16 luxurious guestrooms and cottages, rows of vines stretching up the mountainside, English-style gardens, a destination spa, two casual eateries and La Colombe restaurant.

The casual garden and blackboard menu of this smart winery restaurant setting is deceptive. Many regard La Colombe as South Africa’s finest restaurant. While the thwack of leather on willow echoes from the adjacent cricket field, glimpsed through verdant oak trees, the kitchen is belting a few boundaries with elaborate, cleverly conceived dishes, blending indigenous produce and French technique with Asian flavours. You might start with a fricasse of quail and langoustine with baby corn, spring onions and micro-herbs, followed by deftly cooked veal with morels and peas, and finally, peanut butter parfait to finish. This is assured cooking, using the latest techniques, presented with panache and supported by an encyclopaedic wine list.

Further afield, but still less than an hour’s drive from the city, are the Cape Winelands. Stellenbosch and Paarl are “big five” habitats, both large commercial towns with winemaking as their focus. We head instead for Franschhoek, population 13,000, which boasts that it’s South Africa’s food and wine capital. Originally known as Oliphantshoek (Elephant Corner), after the vast elephants herds once roaming the area, the valley was renamed Franschhoek (French Corner) after more than 200 French Huguenots, fleeing religious persecution, settled there in 1688. The wine and food culture of their homeland was soon put to good use.

Franschhoek is also, arguably, the world’s most spectacularly beautiful wine region, almost completely ringed by towering peaks rising 1500 metres from the valley floor. In ten years it has been transformed from a sleepy farming community to a vibrant tourism destination. “The French Huguenot history and their knowledge of wine growing combined naturally with the theme of food,” says Jo Sinfield, a past chief executive of the Franschhoek Wine Valley & Tourism Association, who now runs a collection of lovely self-contained lodgings in the town centre. “The village now has 40 restaurants, many of them award-winning, and has been given the label of the gourmet capital of South Africa. The success of the valley has been driven by a set of common goals which the community has endorsed.” It’s a success story that other wine regions want to share. In 2008 Sinfield was invited to speak to a forum of South Australian wine and food region tourism officials at the World Food Exchange, including representatives from the Barossa and McLaren Vale. We meet the affable Sinfield, who’s as handsome as the landscape around him, when we check into the Map Room, a comfortable, quirkily decorated cottage (the walls are covered in maps, as you might expect, and the well-equipped kitchen shelf has jars of sands from African deserts). Over a bottle of local sauvignon blanc, he directs us to a couple of standout wineries which are making a splash.

At 32, Gottfried Mocke is one of the region’s most exciting young winemakers. Cape Chamonix Wine Farm is part of the first parcel of land granted to the Huguenots in 1688 and has some of the highest vineyards in the Cape.

Chardonnay has always been a Chamonix specialty and Mocke’s elegant Reserve 2007 is full-bodied, yet refined with Burgundian inclinations, while his sauvignon blanc, from 22-year-old vines, is sensual, surprising and a standout for such a ubiquitous varietal.
Whilst cellarmasters describe the alcohol evaporating during fermentation as the angels’ share, Boekenhoutskloof’s winemaker Marc Kent has to deal with the baboons’ share. These fearless primates descend from the dramatic mountains encasing this picturesque setting to feast on the winery’s ripe chardonnay grapes. Up to 50 per cent of the crop is devoured. Tasting the wine you have to admire the annoying local wildlife’s choice. But the main reason for a visit is their cult wine, Chocolate Block – a blend of syrah, grenache, cabernet sauvignon, cinsault and viognier – which is hard to find even in Cape Town. Its flavour is as evocative as the name.

Franschhoek has a plethora of enthusiastic, talented chefs staking fine dining claims, but from our experiences few if any of them get the balance right. If only they understood that less can be more and let the bountiful fresh South African produce shine as brightly as the wines.

High on the Franschhoek Pass, Le Petit Ferme restaurant and cellar door is an essential stop – if only to drink in the spectacular view before lunch on the veranda. The heartily rustic fare is pleasant and generous, if a little overwrought. A perfectly good eggplant parmigiana for example, was squired by superfluous mushroom bruschetta. Pale pink warthog bresaola is folded like a rose into choux pastry, the sweet meat ultimately overwhelmed by a cheesy leek filling.

The chic Le Quartier Francais, a Relais & Chateaux property in a jumble of low-slung whitewashed buildings on the main drag, Huguenot Street, is a classy enterprise offering stylish, upmarket accommodation as well as a casual bistro and the Tasting Room, one of Franschhoek’s – and South Africa’s – fine dining beacons. But we are underwhelmed by clever food that outwits itself in trying to marry disparate flavours and elaborate ideas via a series of sauces dotted around the plate. With apologies to Coco Chanel, the Tasting Room should follow the great designer’s advice and before the food leaves the kitchen, chef Margot Janse should take something off the plate. Attentive service and a parade of delightful wines lubricate a nonetheless pleasant evening.

The sun-dappled courtyard of Bread & Wine at Moreson Wine Estate provides the setting for our most enjoyable food moment in Franschhoek – a bountiful charcuterie platter, the meats cured in house by chef Neil Jewell and breads, including a more-ish sage focaccia, baked on the premises. While the wines are forgettable (when my dining companion declares that one smells like bong water, I begin to wonder how he knows), this simple, perfect dish lingers in the memory.

Given the dramatic social and cultural change that has occurred in South Africa in less than 20 years the nation has made progress that Australian reconciliation experts must marvel at. Solms-Delta is an admirable example of practical reconciliation. Wine has been made on the estate for more than 300 years, but the current owners, including neuroscientist Professor Mark Solms, are redressing the semi-feudal social structure that has existed most of that time. With the establishment of the Wijn de Caab Trust, the historically disadvantaged labourers have become joint owners of the Solms-Delta estate, and 50 per cent of profits are reinvested in housing and education for the staff. It’s a rare and admirable commitment to a future in which a whole community has a stake. Irrespective of the social good, the wines speak for themselves. As we taste our way through their cellar door offerings, we raise a glass to what a difference 350 years can make.

Guide to Cape Town

Getting there
Qantas has daily flights from Sydney direct to Johannesburg. British Airways and South African Airways have connecting flights to Cape Town.

Where to stay

*T+L choice*
Derwent House
Friendly, stylish and well positioned, with a nice pool and great breakfasts.
14 Derwent Road, Tamboerskloof; +27 21 422 2763; derwenthouse.co.za; doubles from $268 including breakfast.

Constantia Uitsig Hotel
English-style garden cottages, hotel rooms and suites set amid verdant gardens and vines.
Constantia Uitsig Wine Estate, Spaanschemat River Road, Constantia, +27 21 794 6500; constantia-uitsig.com doubles from $475.

*Great value*
The Map Room
Relaxed, comfortable self-contained two-bedroom apartment, with a well-equipped kitchen and huge living room. For larger groups, the beautifully appointed Explorers Club, also run by Jo Sinfield, is a block away and sleeps up to 10. 21 Cabriere Street, Franschhoek; +27 72 464 1240; doubles from $212.

Le Quartier Francais
Sleek, classy boutique hotel in the heart of Franschhoek, with rooms in three categories – Auberge Rooms, Auberge Suites, and the super exclusive Four Quarters Suites. 16 Huguenot Road, Franschhoek; +27 21 876 2151 lequartier.co.za; doubles from $597.

Owner’s Cottage, Grande Provence
For those seeking the ultimate in privacy and luxury. Cocoon yourself in the Virgina Fisher-designed “cottage” (though many would call it a mansion) on the stunning Grand Provence Estate (owned by the Dutch entrepreneur Alex van Heeren, of Huka Lodge fame).
Main Road, Franschhoek; +27 21 876 8600; grandeprovence.co.za; oubles from $1837.

Where to eat

Bizerca
Jetty Street, Foreshore; +27 21 418 0001; dinner for two $70.

Carne
70 Keerom Street, City Centre; + 27 21 424 3460; dinner for two $88.

Biesmeillah
Corner Wale and Pentz Streets, Bo-Kaap; +27 21 423 0850; lunch for two $40.

La Colombe
Constantia Uitsig Wine Estate, Spaanschemat River Road, Constantia; +27 21 794 2390; lunch for two $145.

Melissa’s
94 Kloof Street, Gardens; +27 21 424 5540; breakfast for two $25.

Manna Epicure
151 Kloof Street, Oranjezicht; +27 21 426 2413; brunch for two $32.

Bread & Wine
Moreson Wine Farm, Happy Valley Road; +27 21 876 3692; lunch for two $80.

La Petite Ferme
Franschhoek Pass Road, Franschhoek; +27 21 876 3016; lunch for two $60.

Reuben’s
An excellent breakfast spot in the main street, which spruces up to be a smarter eatery for lunch and dinner. 19 Huguenot Road, Franschhoek; +27 21 876 3772; breakfast for two $25

The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais
16 Huguenot Road, Franschhoek; +27 21 876 2151; dinner for two from $200 (four courses with wine).

Cafes and bars

Vida e Caffe
34 Kloof Street, Gardens; +27 21 426 0627; coffee and pastries for two, $8.

Mt Nelson Hotel
Lovely terrace for traditional afternoon tea. Stay on for something stronger at the groovy Planet cocktail bar, which is a happening scene on Friday nights.
76 Orange Street, Gardens, +27 21 483 1000; afternoon tea for two $52.

Wineries
There are 43 wineries in the Franschhoek Valley. Wine tasting maps are available at most hotels and wineries. Also see the Vignerons de Franschhoek website, franschhoekwines.co.za, which lists contact numbers and opening hours.

Boekenhoutskloof
Excelsior Road, Franschhoek; +27 21 876 3320; boekenhoutskloof.co.za.

Chamonix
Uitkyk Street, Franschhoek; +27 21 876 2494; chamonix.co.za.

Solms Delta
Delta Road, Franschhoek Valley; +27 21 874 3937; solms-delta.com.

What to do

Township tours
A township tour is an absolute must to understand the heart and soul of the Rainbow Nation. While the townships are fully of poverty and disadvantage they are also full of hope and a strong sense of community. Even people who have done well, and could live elsewhere, are choosing to return to or stay in the townships. Camissa (+27 21 462 6199, gocamissa.co.za) runs half day tours daily ($55) which focus on Langa in the Cape Flats. The Gospel Tour on Sunday includes a visit to a township church where the singing is spine tingling and moving.

Robben Island
Weather permitting, take a ferry to the island gaol where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 years, which is now a museum ($27, book online at robben-island.org.za) and UN World Heritage Site.

The economic downturn needn’t mean an end to travelling the world, but it is a great time to start travelling smarter. Jane Parbury sought out 101 tips, from the practical to the innovative, to help you save money on your next trip.

THE BIG PICTURE

1. Be flexible. If your dates are moveable, there are bargains to be had – even more so if your destination is also unfixed. Try sites such as lastminute.com.au, wotif.com or statravel.com.au (especially for flights).

2. Join loyalty schemes. Programs such as Hilton HHonors, Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott Rewards have done away with blackout dates – days of the year such as public holidays that are usually exempt from markdowns – and offer discounted rates and free nights.

3. Sign up to frequent flyer programs. Apart from accumulating points to set against flights or upgrades, you’ll also be one of the first to learn about deals your airline is promoting. Join more than one scheme and although you may accrue points more slowly, you’ll have a wider choice of deals on offer.

4. Use your points. Airlines are keener than ever to fill those seats, so expect more to be available to “purchase” with points and with fewer blackout dates.

5. The internet is your friend. Scour websites such as expedia.com.au and tripadvisor.com for deals, and use price comparison sites to find the best offers. Leading Hotels of the World (lhw.com), for example, is offering 30 per cent off the rack rates of 60 of Europe’s most luxurious hotels, such as the Beau Rivage Palace in Lausanne, in the northern hemisphere summer (until September 30).

6. Travel off-season. Look out for deals in the “shoulder season”, just before and after the high seasons. Operators will be putting deals in the market to stimulate travel in those traditionally softer months. Voyages (voyages.com.au) has a “pay for two nights, stay for three” deal at Wrotham Park Lodge in outback Queensland, until October.

7. Take the road less-travelled. Choose less popular or little visited destinations. Romania is less expensive than other eastern European countries, Puglia is more affordable than Tuscany – and you can travel in Japan on a budget if you avoid the expensive large cities.

8. Go local. With money-saving offers round Australia, it’s a great time to explore holiday options closer to home. The five-star Hyatt Hotel Canberra (hyatt.com) is currently offering a “longer you stay, less you pay” deal: bed and breakfast for two from $305 for one night, $580 for two nights and $795 for three.

9. Pick a package. Bundle flights and accommodation; luxury hotels especially like to “hide” discounts in a package. We found a week’s holiday for two on Expedia at Wailea Beach Marriott on Maui, ex-Sydney, for $7536, a saving of nearly $1000.

10. Book through destination offices. Tickets on the Trans Siberian railway can be up to $3000 cheaper by booking through Real Russia, a London-based agency with offices in Moscow, than through agents in Australia. Though you might be reluctant to wire money abroad, scanning traveller review websites like tripadvisor.com and seat61.com (for trains) can give a good idea of which companies to trust.

11. Take to the water. Cruising, with its all-inclusive pricing, is already good value, and there are top deals around. Silversea’s Silver Sailing (silversea.com) program has 50 per cent off in all suite categories on 39 voyages heading to destinations as diverse as the Seychelles, South America and the Med.

GOING PLACES

12. Do your homework. The more you learn beforehand, the more you’ll get out of your visit, and it will help you avoid costly mistakes. Research your trip with reputable guidebooks and magazines like Travel + Leisure.

13. Check out the local tourist office. They often have deals on accommodation and entry charges to tourist attractions.

14. Time your trip. In certain places at certain times, like Miami for Art Basel Miami Beach or during the Cannes film festival, accommodation will be both pricey and hard to find. On the other hand, gourmet travellers might fancy New York in July, when 250 of the city’s top restaurants are offering discount lunching: three-course meals for around $35. There are various free culture-oriented events going on too, including July 4 fireworks. See nycgo.com for details.

15. Take transits. A taxi from Munich airport into the city costs around $130, the S-bahn fare is just $16.

16. Buy a discount book. Entertainment books in the US offer discounts at restaurants and hotels and on flights and entertainment. Usually $40, the 2009 versions are available now for $20.

17. Research local transport. Using an Oyster card on London’s Underground costs $3.40 for a single inner city journey rather than $8.55. Perth and Fremantle’s central CAT buses are free.

18. Forget tourist passes. They are not always good value. Paris’s Carte Orange weekly travel pass costs around $44, while the tourist equivalent, Paris Visite, is about half as much again. Work out how much travel you’ll do and whether it’s worth buying one.

19. Skip the tour buses. Forgo the branded “city tour” transport for regular tourist-sight heavy routes. For example, London’s Route 12 bus covers Oxford Circus, Piccadilly, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, Number 10 and Westminster. It may not have an open roof but it is a less than a quarter of the cost.

20. Cycle. Rent a bike in pedal-friendly cities such as Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Berlin and Barcelona.

21. Walk. Especially in cities and towns, it’s one of the best (free) ways to see a city – and you’ll see a lot more than from a taxi, bus or travelling underground.

ON THE MOVE

22. Book early/late. Booking long haul well ahead can be good value, but if you’ve missed out, consider hanging on for a late deal. When launching V Australia’s Melbourne to LA service, Richard Branson said that the airline will never go out with an empty seat – instead “we’ll slash the fare”.

23. Consider ALL the budget flight costs. Ryanair (ryanair.com), the Europe-wide carrier, is renowned for its headline-grabbing 1p flights, but taxes, a payment handling fee, airport check-in fee and a checked baggage fee bump up the price. Plus, if you have a babe in arms AND want to bring your golf clubs, it’ll cost you an extra $200 return. Read the fine print.

24.Try buying offline. Buying flights online is generally cheaper than through agents, but it is not always the case. For example, travellers to Thailand will get better deals through shop-travel agents thanks to link-ups with carriers.

25. Research group bookings. Special offers may not extend to large groups, so it could pay to book in batches. Check first that your flight/accommodation has sufficient capacity.

26. Fly premium economy. Qantas’s debuted last year and Air France will introduce their long-haul service later this year. About half the price of business, you’ll get many of the same amenities and more legroom than economy, just not the lie-flat bed.

27. Book economy, fly business. With Jetstar (jetstar.com), book your flight in economy, head to the airport early and pay for an upgrade. Typically it will cost $300-$400, considerably less than if you had booked StarClass upfront. No guarantees you’ll get it, of course.

28. Invest in a travel pass. You can buy a pass for almost restriction-free travel on the Japan Rail network for two weeks for $500. Eurail has rail passes for travel throughout Europe, such as a one-month global pass covering 21 countries. There are discounts for 2-5 people and at time of writing it was $100 cheaper to order online direct from eurail.com and pay in euros – check the exchange rates before you buy.

29. Travel overnight. A sleeper on a long train journey can save on a hotel room and valuable sightseeing time. Book well ahead for the best rates –advance fares on the Caledonian Sleeper (London to various destinations in Scotland) start at $108 one way for a shared compartment, while there are limited numbers of bargain berths from as little as $40. See scotrail.co.uk.

30. Weigh your baggage before multi-destination trips. Permitted baggage weights on short haul flights are usually lower than on long haul and on budget airlines can be as low as 15kg.

31. Try Air Asia for short haul flights within Asia. The planes are brand new, staff is fantastic and it’s cheap. airasia.com

SLEEPING AROUND

32. Score a hotel deal. Sydney’s Radisson Plaza (radisson.com) has its own economic stimulus package: $900 buys two nights in a Studio Spa suite, breakfast, dinner and $100 credit to be spent in the hotel, until 28th September.

33. Try some chutzpah. Find the best hotel rates online, then call the hotel direct to see if they can better it.

34. Look at tourist offices online Compare rates with the hotel’s own site – they are often more keenly priced.

35. Go for all-inclusive. You’ll avoid nasty surprises when you get your bill, plus it can be good value. Cruises and flight tours, such as those offered by The Captain’s Choice Tour (captainschoice.com.au) are priced on an all-inclusive basis. For value and a feelgood factor, consider a conservation break with Conservation Volunteers – their four- or seven-day spring tours to the Grampians National Park are priced from $500, including meals, transport and all activities (conservationvolunteers.com.au).

36. Negotiate. If the hotel won’t better a rate, you may be able to arrange for complimentary extras, such as a meal in the hotel restaurant. Speak to the reservations manager.

37. Save with an upgrade. Check the cost of upgrading to an executive club floor because, for a modest additional fee, you may receive free local calls, free internet and complimentary food and drinks.

38. Call first. Check for special offers directly with the hotel before booking, as not all might be featured on their website.

39. Look for launches. Newly opened hotels often have a soft opening period where prices can be as much as 50 per cent off. Check the news sections of the big chains’ websites and keep reading T+L.

40. Book in for the weekend. During the week, when business customers are around, hotel rates tend to be higher.

41. Be loyal. Loyal guests are more likely to get upgrades and last room availabilities. Plus if your budget is a bit tighter than usual, they are often happy to work with you.

42. Research loyalty programmes. Fairmont Hotels’ complimentary Fairmont Presidents Club includes freebies and reductions for members. (fairmont.com/fpc)

43. Drop a star. If you just want somewhere to lay your head, consider budget business chains that are often better than you think.

44. Try townhouse or boutique hotels. Rates can look higher, but they often offer extra amenities such as breakfast, free internet or airport transfers.

45. Go for B&Bs. They’re much cheaper than the equivalent standard of hotel and you get to meet the locals.

46. Look for short-let apartments if you’re staying anywhere over a week; they’re terrific value.

47. Consider a campus. CLV Smart Stays (clvsmartstays.com.au) offers accommodation in student residences in Christchurch, NZ, and Australian cities from $45 per night during university holidays.

48. Revisit your youth. Cheap as chips, youth hostels often have private or family rooms for just a little more than bunk-room rates.

49. Breakfast out. Where you have a room-only deal, hotel breakfasts are notoriously pricey. Check out a local cafe.

50. Pay as you go. Avoid charging everything to your room to help you monitor your spending.

51. Drop in for a swim. Even if you’re staying elsewhere you can often pay a rate to use the pool or spa of a smarter hotel.

52. Avoid the mini bar They’re notoriously pricey. Stock up on snacks and drinks at a local convenience store instead.

53. Check room-service charges. You could end up paying a service charge and a tray charge, making that cheese sandwich extremely expensive.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

54. Check car-hire rates online But be aware the best deals aren’t always accessible from here. It can pay to wait until you are overseas before booking, although you risk not having the availability you want.

55. Big isn’t always best. In towns, local car rental firms may have the best rates.

56. Join up. Members of organisations such as the NRMA, for example, are often entitled to discounts on car hire.

57. Forget renting in cities. Congestion charges and sky-high rates for parking mean driving in places like London is super-expensive.

58. Check your travel insurance for car-hire cover. It’ll avoid having to buy the dealers’ own, which will almost certainly be more expensive.

59. Fill up before you go. Fuel prices and eateries on motorways tend to be pricier than those in towns.

60. Consider secondary roads. Tolls on motorways can add up over long journeys; in France, there are often routes nationales going the same direction – a tad slower, but prettier and free.

EATING OUT

61. Try fine lunching. Many top restaurants have more competitive rates at lunch than at dinner, especially in Japan and major cities, such as New York, Paris and London.

62. Check out the bar. Melbourne’s Bistro Guillaume (bistroguillaume.com.au) has a four-tapas Bar Menu for $22 – the same price as a single entrée in the restaurant.

63. Same people, different prices. Gordon Ramsay has added a trio of wallet-friendly gastro pubs to his UK empire; in New York, hip eatery Da Silvano (lunch for two: $200-$2000) has a new relation, Scuderia, with mains for $20; Sydney’s Icebergs has mains for $40; at sister restaurant North Bondi, they’re around $30.

64. Have coffee at the counter. In France, Spain and Italy, it’s much cheaper than table service, and the done thing.

65. Go al fresco. Lunch in a park or square with a picnic with supplies bought from a great local deli or gourmet food hall.

66. Don’t pay twice. Tipping in restaurants is expected in the US; in France, where it is a legal requirement, service is included, while adding a “discretionary” service charge has become much more common in the UK. Check your bill.

67. Look for prix fixe menus. You’ll often find the same dishes offered a la carte, but the set menu will generally offer better value.

68. Find a BYO. In many countries bringing your own bottle to a restaurant is unusual, as the mark up on wine is where many eateries make their profit. However, the practice is catching on, especially in North America and the UK. Check local websites for listings or phone and ask.

69. Hit the streets. Asia’s street food offers authentic local tastes at much less than in a restaurant. Take reasonable precautions, though – avoid uncooked food, look for busy places where the food is cooked to order and if you have any doubts about its hygiene or quality, head elsewhere.

70. Hit the (back) streets. Even in tourist traps like Venice, there are trattorias to be found where the food is good, plentiful and cheap. Watch (or ask) where the locals go.

71. Go with the flow. On the whole, local dishes are likely to offer better value than western parodies.

72. Try the local tipple. In wine regions, a jug of the local beverage will cost less than a transported bottle; similarly, local beer is typically cheaper than imported.

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

73. Read a local listings magazine.Most big cities have them (and in English throughout Asia), especially useful for events. Many of these mags – as well as the events listed – are free.

74. Use your hotel’s concierge service. A good concierge can get you great tickets, reservations and transfers, and will work to your budget.

75. Half-price ticket booths. These are found in places like Times Square, New York, and London’s Leicester Square, selling same-day show tickets at heavily discounted rates.

76. Sightsee for free. The Louvre has free entry on the first Sunday of each month and on Bastille Day (July 14). The Taj Mahal is free on Fridays, as is New York’s MOMA, and museums in Berlin are free after 6pm on Thursdays. Check websites.

77. Sightsee for almost free. A Venetian traghetto (gondola ferries) will carry you – standing up – across the Grand Canal at a fraction of the cost of a touristy gondola.

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

78. Follow the money. Keep an eye on currency conversion site xe.com to monitor the buying power of your dollar. Rates between here and the UK have swung by 12 per cent since spring, giving you more sterling for your buck.

79. Be credit card clever. Take advantage of start-up offers on new credit cards, such as bonus frequent flyer points.

80. Find a fair exchange. Look for banks that exchange currency at international rates rather than their own rate. Bendigo Bank charges 2 per cent on overseas credit card transactions, but uses the international rate for currency exchanges.

81. Buy annual travel insurance. Scout for the best rates from leading brokers, rather than plumping for the agent/airline’s option. Annual travel insurance often works out cheaper especially for frequent travellers.

82. Plan ahead. For the best exchange rates, don’t wait until you are in the airport. Australia Post has no commission on currency and travellers’ cheques, but you may have to book in advance.

83. Stay unconverted. When paying with a card, or withdrawing cash, avoid converting into Australian dollars at the point of sale. This is Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC). The exchange rate is often not that good and there can be a service charge of up to 4 per cent.

84. Check with your bank for partners abroad. Westpac customers who draw currency from Bank of America ATMs, for example, avoid the $5 per transaction fee.

85. Avoid booking fees. Pay for flights online rather than by phone, and by debit rather than credit card.

86. If you’re a frequent traveller, consider American Express. The Platinum card has an annual fee of $450, but their rewards scheme is generous, with travel insurance and benefits such as onboard cruising credits and two-for-one flights.

87. Watch out for exchange rate fluctuations in hotels. In Asia, prices may be quoted in US dollars, but they have to charge you in local currency; ensure they are giving you the international rate of the day and not their own, possibly inflated rate.

TALK ABOUT IT

88. Buy a local phone card. Hotels charge their own (hefty!) rates for phone calls.

89. Check hotel internet usage fees. If they’re expensive, head for a local internet cafe.

90. Need a mobile? Unlock an old handset, then buy a sim card at your destination to avoid exorbitant global-roaming charges.

91. Sign up to Skype. This downloadable software allows you to make calls over the internet free to other Skype-users.

RETAIL THERAPY

92. Shop tax free. Australian travellers can reclaim the retail tax on purchases made in participating stores in the European Union and other locations: the VAT reclaimable ranges from 10 per cent in Korea to 25 per cent in Sweden. Check globalrefund.com for full details and participating shops.

93. Check out the local markets They can be good for authentic crafts and gifts. Be aware that if an excursion includes a souvenir shop stop, the prices will probably be higher than elsewhere.

94. Barter. In some countries, good-humoured negotiation is even expected. Just don’t be too harsh.

95. Beware shopping overload. Enquire about shipping your purchases home rather than incurring excess-baggage fees.

96. Choose your purchases wisely. Australia has stringent quarantine controls. Not only will regulated goods be confiscated and possibly destroyed, but fail to declare them and you’ll incur a fine. Check the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website; daff.gov.au

THE SKIS THE LIMIT

97. Go budget. Skiing can be a pricey past time, but all-inclusive cheap and cheerful lodges are still to be found, even in luxe resorts such as Courchevel 1850. Shop around. Remember that eating on the mountain is famously pricey, so take your lunch with you.

98. Pick your resort. In Europe, Italy is generally cheaper overall than France and Switzerland, and even in smart resorts, staying further down the mountain and catching the bus up can save you heaps. For Australians, New Zealand offers attractive packages and much more reliable snow.

98. School holidays are pricier and busier. Winter school holidays in New Zealand this year run from July 6-20 and September 28 to12 Oct. In Australia holidays bordering the snowfields are: New South Wales July 11-July 26; Canberra July 4- July 19 and Victoria June 27-July 12.

100. Hire ahead. Gear rental in town is usually cheaper than in-resort.

101. Score a pass. Look out for beginners’ rental, pass and lesson packages in Australian and New Zealand ski resorts.